Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition
by MandoCommander
Summary: Sequel to The Rising Darkness. Set between the 2nd & 3rd Season. As the Rebellion grows in strength, so do the dangers they face. A mission to a maximum security Imperial prison drives home this reality for Ezra, Sabine, Zeb and Chopper. Meanwhile, Kanan and Hera undertake an assignment alone. Little do the Rebels know the best of the Inquisition has a plan of their own...
1. Chapter 1: Divergent Paths

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: The requested sequel to The Rising Darkness begins now! Set several months before Steps into Shadow, this is once again a separate mission that will not affect the overall continuity of the show, but one that will further expand on character development and pick up the plot from where The Rising Darkness left off.**

 **In addition to also expanding development for the main pairings, Ezrabine and Kanera respectively, more familiar faces from the Original Trilogy and popular Expanded Universe titles will also be introduced, beginning in this chapter like in the first story. This story begins a few months after the events in Twilight of the Apprentice.**

Chapter 1: Divergent Paths

 _"_ _From within the darkness, one will rise to deliver our race to their salvation. Only one born of this darkness can guide us, for they will understand better than anyone what it means to endure through the harshest agony our oppressors can bring down upon us; the torment of loss after losing so much already. Their strength and endurance through such agony will be the key to do what must be done to reach the Promised Day, the day of our deliverance. From within the darkness, we shall find salvation," – The prophecy of The Promised Day, spoken by Balatta the Farseer_

It was a typical dark and stormy day on Kolhma, the infamous burial moon of the Inner Rim world of Bogden. The barren, jagged, and mountainous landscape was battered by a torrential downpour, the bleak and dark grey skies allowing only traces of sunlight to ebb through. Upon the northern edge of a peninsular mountain range, standing out from the cliff faces plummeting down on three sides around it, stood the imposing dark citadel that, in the years leading up to the Clone Wars, had served as the headquarters of the dreaded Bando Gora cult. The manipulations of the Sith, and the actions of their hired Mandalorian mercenary named Jango Fett, had seen to it that the cult was dismantled. Now, decades later, the formerly sacred halls of what was an ancient cathedral now served as one of the main bases of the Imperial Inquisition.

The remote and widely-forgotten or feared location of the burial moon of Bogden provided a desirable location for the sinister agents of the Sith to meet in secret. And so it was that the Imperial Inquisition came to regard the dark citadel as a second home. Deep inside the foreboding structure, within the atrium to the inner sanctum on the cold stone floor, ten holoprojectors stood aligned in a perfect circle in the middle of the room, flanked on both sides by the dual-curved stairway that led to the inner sanctum one level above. The room itself was dimly lit by archaic but eerie blue-fire wall torches.

Suddenly, five of the ten holoprojectors hummed to life, all at once shimmering and static-flickering humanoid holograms appearing up and out of each. The hologram that appeared out of the projector that stood at the top of the circle was none other than Grand Inquisitor Dunkel Nachtgeist. The cloaked master of the Dark Side faced four fellow Inquisitors. He addressed them by name one by one.

"Inquisitor Jerec, Inquisitor Starkiller, Inquisitor Garnac, Inquisitor Barris, thank you for not delaying in answering my call. I have come to relay orders direct from the highest levels."

"Direct from Lord Vader and the Emperor himself, eh? Must be serious," Jerec grinned as he spoke. The thin-shaved, tan-skinned Human male easily distinguished himself from his peers by the silken black blindfold which was wrapped around his head and covering his eyes, blind since birth. Also, patterned, black tattoos of Sith design draped down his jaw from the corners of his mouth. His uniform consisted of black boots along with matching gloves, combat pants and tunic, as well as a utility belt. A matching single-plated piece of chest armor protected his torso. Twin shoulder plates were stark red in color, and in contrast to the rest of his ensemble. He listened intently, his teeth barred in a twisted grin that never left his face.

"What is the will of our lords?" Starkiller inquired next, his voice mechanized as it emanated from beneath his helmet. Like Jerec he too was a Human male, though he was also significantly younger. His uniform was reminiscent of an armored warrior, signifying his preferred hands-on approach to combat missions. It was a full suit of chrome armor with a black bodysuit underneath, as well as matching boots and gloves, and utility belt. A long black cape draped down his back and covered the back half of his shoulder plates. His helmet had a built-in mouthpiece that was crowned by a wide visor giving a clear, unobstructed view. His face held no grin. Instead, he waited respectfully with a completely neutral, albeit hidden expression.

"I have received full authorization from the both of them; Operation: Infinite Horizon is a go," Nachtgeist elaborated, then gauged the reaction of his cohorts.

"Tell me, sir, will we be eliminating more Jedi in the search for the objectives? It's been too long since I've killed my last Jedi…" Garnac trailed off as his reptilian tongue slithered across the bottom of his upper lip. The young Trandoshan's snake-like eyes glimmered and narrowed in raw bloodlust. He was every bit the son of his father, driven by the hunt, anticipating the thrill of every kill. His savage disposition was so extreme it unnerved many of his fellow Imperials, but most of those within the ranks of the Inquisition had grown used to it. He stood clad in a full black bodysuit with matching armor plates covering his chest, shoulders, and knees. He was also sporting a matching utility belt. His three-fingered hands and three-toed feet were both bare, displaying his claws. The scales that covered his flesh were pale green in color. His own sinister grin, displaying his razor-like teeth, was easily a rival of Jerec's.

"Tell _me_ , Garnac, when the last of the Jedi are finally dead, who will you hunt with such relentless passion, then?" Barris spoke drolly as she eyed the Trandoshan curiously. The Mirilan was an older Inquisitor, and herself a veteran of the fallen Jedi Order. A former Padawan who lost faith in the Jedi and brushed with the Dark Side before being apprehended, she was a logical choice for recruitment into the Inquisition after the fall of the Old Republic. She stood clad in a simple pitch black, hooded cloak with matching boots and gloves similar to the Grand Inquisitor, but no mask obscured a portion of her face, leaving her light green skin and purple facial tattoos visible though veiled under her hood. Her typical expression was one of stoic discipline, but right now she mused curiously, both regarding her fellow Inquisitor and the upcoming mission.

"There will always be more prey. Perhaps I will find some sport in these rebels who have chosen to ally with the Jedi? Any friend to those filthy trash is an enemy of mine!" Garnac snarled before resuming his twisted grin, contemplating a very bloody massacre of the Rebellion wherever their forces had chosen to hunker down to evade Imperial forces. The other Inquisitors turned back to their superior as he raised a hand to silence them.

"Let us remain focused on the here and now. This mission will undoubtedly attract undue attention from the final remnants of the Jedi Order, especially considering we know one of the two holocrons we must secure is already in their possession," Nachtgeist elaborated.

"They have to be holocrons of considerable power, greater than average devices. Have the names behind these two been isolated?" Jerec asked, a single eyebrow above his blindfold arched in the process.

"Indeed they have. The first one we will acquire is the Holocron of Darth Revan, hidden away on the ancient tomb world of the Sith," the Grand Inquisitor further explained.

"Korriban," Starkiller finished, and Nachtgeist nodded.

"And the second that we must retrieve as well?" Barris asked next.

"The Holocron of Darth Traya, currently in possession of the two Jedi who eluded Lord Vader on Malachor 1," Nachtgeist didn't miss the vicious grin that returned to the face of the young Trandoshan.

"I'll rip it from their dead hands! Just tell me where they are!" as Garnac raved in anticipation, Starkiller spoke up in clarification.

"Not so fast. Those Jedi are a part of the Rebellion. We don't have the location of their secret base, as of yet."

"I am currently working on a solution to that dilemma, but in the meantime, our first step is clear. Jerec and Starkiller will be joining me on the trip to Korriban. Barris and Garnac will be following a lead the ISB recovered regarding a link to the primary objective on Manaan. You two will be leaving for Ahto City immediately. Be mindful of your surroundings, as your mission will be taking you to an old research station on the ocean floor."

"I wonder if you can swim in deep, frigid water, with that cold blood of yours, Garnac?" Jerec joked grimly, and the Trandoshan snarled as Barris rolled her eyes.

"Prepare yourselves. Stay focused, stay alert, and remember, glory to the Empire!" Nachtgeist decreed.

"Glory to the Empire!" the four inquisitors repeated in unison.

* * *

A few days later, across the galaxy in the Mid Rim, an aging AA-9 transport freighter barreled through the beautiful chaos of hyperspace en route to its destination, fully loaded with supplies to be offloaded once docked. The minimal crew and security team traveling on board were completely unaware that they had unwelcome stowaways in the aft cargo hold near the engine room. Ezra Bridger, Garazeb Orellios, Sabine Wren, and C1-10P aka Chopper were hunkered down behind a stack of crates, two of which were broken open, signifying they had been the vessels of infiltration for the freedom fighters. Utilizing a portable holodevice, Sabine showed a rough map of pieced-together data from underworld sources that displayed what little info of the freighter's destination.

"Ovoo IV, one of the most infamous maximum security prisons in the Galaxy. Once housed the most dangerous criminals in the Old Republic before the Clone Wars. Now, the inmates are both criminals and anyone else the Empire deems unfit to walk around free," the teenage Mandalorian explained to her teammates who were eyeing the holographic display warily.

"Such as General Dodonna," Ezra added.

"Precisely. We have confirmation he's in there, but that's about it. We'll need to gain access to the manifest in their computers to determine where they're holding him," Sabine continued.

"Building a prison into an asteroid. I would have expected that kind of ruthlessness from the Empire, but never figured the Republic to be the same in their incarcerations," Zeb commented disapprovingly.

"This prison was designed to house the very worst the criminal underworld had to offer. An inhospitable environment makes thoughts of escape all the more difficult," the young artist elaborated.

" _Has_ anyone ever escaped?" Ezra asked, curious about their own chances.

"Yes, there have been numerous riots over the decades and a handful of successful breakouts. All escapees were either killed or recaptured, with the exception of a single incident; a hired breakout led by a Mandalorian mercenary."

"Well then, it's good we have a former Mandalorian mercenary with us," Ezra commented with a smirk. He missed the faint blush that tinted the face of his female teammate from under her helmet. She quickly shrugged off the compliment, however. Focus had to remain on the mission at hand.

Of course, ever since coming to terms with what Ezra meant to her, Sabine had found being in close proximity to him for an extended period eventually caused her mind to wander in one way or another. She had toned down her dismissals of his obvious attempts to flatter her, but wasn't overly obvious about it herself. She found his awkward moments regarding her less irritating and more endearing in a way. Of course, the situation wasn't helped by the fact that over the last few months since the fateful mission to Malachor 1, puberty had hit her fellow teenaged teammate like a ton of duracrete blocks. She had previously mused it wouldn't be too long before Ezra had completely overtaken her in height. He was maturing both physically and mentally, and the teenage Mandalorian would catch herself dwelling on him more than she would ever admit to anyone else. She also frequently found herself remembering that "spur of the moment" move she made to kiss him while he was unconscious and recovering while temporarily comatose after the earlier mission to Ord Mantell. She was also rather particularly relieved that he had no recollection of what went on while he was out of it.

Little did Sabine realize Ezra hadn't missed her change in attitude towards him and his company. The young Padawan considered bringing up this noticeable shift in their relationship to her directly more than once since he first felt it, but his uncertainly with how to approach the subject and the ever-increasing frequency with which missions were assigned to them left him silent on the matter. He was still kicking himself over how awkward he'd been when Sabine unveiled her new hair style and color to the crew. He could practically sense Kanan and Zeb mentally face-palming at his stammering. Enamored was perhaps the most generous way to put what he'd been feeling at the sight of her. He'd always thought she was pretty, but these last few months had redefined such a definition for him. And her courage and heart remained just as prominent, not helping his dilemma with his persistent feelings one bit.

Before either of the teens could lose themselves to these thoughts once again, their Lasat teammate pulled them back to the mission at hand by clearing his throat abruptly.

"Ahem… so where on the rock will this ship come to stop?"

"Right here, at the only cargo supply port on the asteroid," Sabine elaborated as she pointed to the supply port on the holographic display, highlighting the location in red as she did so.

"Are there lifts from the port down to the cellblocks?" Ezra asked.

"No, but we should be able to use the freight lifts in the port to access the storage areas below, and make our way over to the cellblocks from there. Prison labor is used for most of the heavy lifting and carting in this place. Of course, we'll need to isolate where Dodonna's cell is, first. Fortunately, any security station we find on the way should have a terminal I can slice into to find out that information," the teenage Mandalorian further explained.

At that moment, the old transport dropped out of hyperspace within sight of the prison facility, its sparsely-positioned surface lights dotting the surface of the asteroid. The stowaways were slightly thrown forward from in their crouched positions in the cargo hold by the sudden force of the engines shifting and the hyperdrive being deactivated, the sublight drives being relied on for the brief duration of what remained of the voyage.

"Well, looks like we'll be landing any minute now," Ezra mused aloud. As if on cue, the ship's comm frequency rang to life on the announcement system, and the captain's voice updated everyone aboard on their status.

"Attention all hands, we'll be dropping speed as we wait for clearance to pass through the energy shield. We should be docking within five minutes. Over and out."

"Wait, energy shield?" Zeb abruptly asked as Chopper chimed in binary inquiry as well. Sabine explained as she pointed to and highlighted the largest structure on the asteroid on the holodisplay.

"In order to maintain an artificial atmosphere and block incoming meteorites from striking the facility, the entire asteroid is surrounded by an invisible, high-powered energy shield projected from here, the central security tower. In the old days the entire thing had to be deactivated every time a ship was coming or going, but after the Empire took over a portal ring was installed to allow medium-sized transport ships like this one to pass through without turning the whole shield off. It's the only access point through the shield, so we'll need to break out through that portal ring on our way out of here."

"So any ship that tries to pass through the shield anywhere else is just smashed to wreckage on impact," Ezra deduced.

"Precisely, so I suggest we remember this fact and avoid that fate," Sabine finished drolly.

"No arguments here," Zeb replied in a like manner.

Once security clearance was granted from the central control tower, the aging AA-9 transport freighter passed through the massive portal ring mounted high above the surface on four tall and wide durasteel columns. The shield, temporarily retracted from inside the ring only, instantly filled the space inside once more within a moment after the aft of the ship cleared it. Slowly and steadily, the transport maneuvered over and finally came to rest atop the large rectangular landing platform that stood aloft over a crater ringed with guard posts, the port control station, and connecting walkways. Four freight lifts descended down into the crafter from the large platform above, linking the port to the storage areas far below the surface.

Now with their way inside open to them, the four Rebels moved from their perch inside the aft cargo hold on the transport. Another mission was underway once more.

* * *

Across the Galaxy on the Far Rim world of Atollon, the Rebel base was bustling with activity. The small but compact facility had finally finished construction in the weeks after the fateful mission to Malachor 1, though being down two of their three Jedi leaders and operatives had put an unprecedented damper on morale amongst the personnel. Ahsoka was officially listed as MIA and presumed deceased, and Kanan was out of commission as he had to learn to cope with his loss of sight. Fleet Commander Jun Sato wasn't much for words, but Captain Hera Syndulla of Phoenix Squadron did her best to keep spirits up through inspirational speeches and assigning continual tasks to keep everyone occupied.

Now however it was Hera who found herself assigned with a task of her own; a supply run to the infamous underworld haven of Nar Shaddaa, the city-moon in orbit of Hutta. It took some serious nagging, but finally the rogue Twi'lek pilot convinced Kanan to accompany her.

"I'm only going along because the thought of you going to that giant slime ball alone is too much to bear," the blinded Jedi Knight told her as he took his seat in the co-pilot's chair on the bridge of the _Ghost_.

"And I sincerely appreciate it, dear," Hera rolled her eyes as she replied sarcastically, knowing that he knew she could take care of herself, "However I'm pretty sure it's the planet _below_ Nar Shaddaa that's the real giant slime ball," she finished with a smirk.

"You know what I mean," Kanan replied in a slightly annoyed tone.

Hera couldn't help but let her smirk grown slightly wider. It was already starting to feel like old times. The engines of the _Ghost_ hummed to life and the landing gear retracted as the modified stock freighter took off from its landing pad at the base. Had Kanan made an attempt to center himself and try focusing enough, perhaps he would have been able to sense the power of the Dark Side emanating from the holocron hidden away in the cabin shared by his young apprentice.

The paths of these allies and foes would take them to separate destinations, for now anyway…

 **A/N: And there you have it my readers, the debut of the sequel to The Rising Darkness. Please let me know your thoughts by leaving reviews! As always, I place great importance on reading what you have to say about my work. :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Infiltration

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: I give my most sincere apologies for this unexpected delay, life caught up with me as it were. However, I didn't want to rush my writing, and so at last here is the promised 2-part special!**

Chapter 2: Infiltration

As the old transport sat idle on the large rectangular landing platform, lined on all four corners by freight lifts, both the ship's crew and port labor droids had set to the task of unloading the crates of supplies from the cargo hold. Taking great care to avoid detection, the four Rebels slowly crept their way off one of the side boarding ramps, they were careful to try and avoid detection from the ship's crew who were focused on off-loading the crates of supplies for the prison.

"This way," Sabine called to the others as quiet as she could manage while still making herself be heard, gesturing to them to follow her over the side and behind the ramp. They did so at once, just in time as two labor droids started their way back to the ramp.

"We should make for the closest lift," Ezra replied immediately and quietly upon setting foot on the platform in a hushed tone.

"There, but hold on a moment." Sabine said just above a whisper as she pointed to the lift on the northwest corner of the platform, and then gestured to the rotating security camera mounted above the entrance to it as well.

The team was careful to take cover behind one of the large landing gear pivots and in the shadow of the underside of the transport. The platform just beyond their position was illuminated by search lights projected from the port control station built into the eastern rim of the crater, and the entrance to the personnel lift on the opposite end.

Ezra eyed the camera as it rotated back and forth at a near 180 degree angle, meanwhile Zeb listened closely to the tapping of feet that went up and down the ramp behind them. Their current position was rather precarious.

"We're not exactly secure, here. If we're going to make a move it better be soon," the veteran Lasat warrior whispered to his teammates. He caught sight of one of the anti-personnel gun emplacements on the northern side of the crater. Troopers were on patrol on the surface just beyond.

"I think if we time ourselves just right, we can avoid being caught by the camera, but the second we step outside from under the ship, those lights will make us clear for everyone nearby to spot us," Ezra whispered, having analyzed their situation.

"The searchlights are also used to provide light for the crew and droids unloading the cargo. Perhaps when they're done, the lights will go out," Sabine suggested in an equally-hushed tone.

"If not, we'll lose the element of surprise," Zeb replied immediately and warily. The others knew he was right; they shouldn't leave anything to chance.

"When the transport lifts off, the shadow will rise along with it. We can use that for cover as we run over to the lift the second the camera lens are out of the way," Ezra said, building on the plan. Sabine nodded in agreement.

"All right, let's hope this works. One slip up and the entire prison will know we're here," the Lasat warrior reminded the others.

A few more minutes passed before the last of the crates were unloaded from the cargo holds inside the aging transport. As the voyage hadn't been a lengthy one, there was no pressing need for refueling. The crew boarded the vessel and the labor droids left out through the walkway. Once the ramps retracted, the telltale hissing and expulsion of steam from the landing gear pivots let the team know takeoff was imminent.

"Okay, ready, everyone?" Sabine asked the others. Ezra and Zeb both nodded, and Chopper chimed in agreement.

In the next moment, the engines flared to life once more, and the landing gear began to retract as the freighter lifted off. As the vessel began its slow and steady ascent into the artificial atmosphere around them, the rising shadow of the large craft encompassed the lift on the northwestern corner of the platform as the ship began to rotate so the bow was facing the direction of the portal ring. The Rebels made their move, heading across the platform as quickly as they could the exact instant the camera was pivoted to the left and not able to catch them in its sights. However, as it began to swerve back to the right, the team was forced to move further right to avoid being sighted. Hugging the side of the shaft of the freight lift, they were able to evade detection just in time, though they had to wait for it to rotate back to the left once more before finally moving over to the entrance into the lift, which was to their instant relief both unsealed and idle.

Using the floodlight built into her rangefinder, Sabine illuminated the control panel for the freight lift and pressed the button to take them down to the lowest of the storage levels, the one most likely to have less potential traffic. Once the twin doors to the lift closed, the interior lights came on automatically and the team was on their way down. The teenage Mandalorian went over the next stage of the plan to the others.

"Okay, once the doors open we need to find a security station. With any luck, I'll be able to access patrol schedules along with finding out where Dodonna's cell is."

"We won't be able to come back the way we came. How will we get back up to the surface?" Ezra inquired. Zeb offered his own idea, next.

"This asteroid's more than large enough to have mines tunneling through it, and if such is the case I doubt we'd find many cameras or patrols in there."

"You're right, Zeb, and fortunately not off the mark. There's a network of mining tunnels the prisoners are forced to work in as part of their sentencing. From the console at a security station, we can find out if they're our best bet out of here," Sabine clarified.

"We'll still need to find a ship, and break out through the shield, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Ezra reiterated.

"Same as always, then," Sabine replied nostalgically and Chopper chuckled, likely drawing up some memories himself.

It wasn't much longer before the freight lift ground to a halt. The instant the doors opened the team stealthily moved into the large, high-ceiling, well-illuminated storage room just beyond. They had chosen their entry point well; the room was nearly stocked to capacity and as a result had not been chosen to receive the cargo offloaded from the transport. Stacks of crates neatly piled atop one another formed complete rows over ten feet high in many locations, giving the entire room a maze-like atmosphere. Being the tallest in the group, Zeb was the first to spot the top of the doorway across the room that led to the only corridor on the level connecting the room to the rest of the facility. He brought his head down the moment he also caught another rotating security camera directly over said doorway as well.

"Karabast, there's another camera directly over the way out of this place," the veteran Lasat warrior told his teammates.

"Seeing as how there's no alarm going off, I think it's safe to say they didn't spot you, big guy," Ezra reassured him with a smirk.

"The crates that provide us cover will also make sneaking past it more difficult this time. Everyone, stay down and follow close," Sabine took point and urged the others to follow.

Soon, the Rebels successfully navigated the rows of stacked crates until turning the next corner would place them within view of the camera. In the silence of the room, they could hear the mechanized humming as it pivoted back and forth slowly. Chopper chimed in, issuing a suggestion in his binary language. Ezra's eyes went wide in realization as he understood.

"That's a good idea, Chop. He says he can use his sonic stun projector to temporarily short out the camera, freezing the display image long enough for us to run past," as the young Padawan translated the astromech's plan to Sabine and Zeb, the latter narrowed his eyes warily and gave an annoyed huff.

"Ugh, I wish Hera would let the rest of us know whenever she gives you upgrades, you troublesome scrap heap!" as Zeb growled his response, Chopper merely gave another mechanical chuckle, louder and more mischievous this time.

"Let's get moving, then," Sabine added.

"Ready… and, go!" Ezra told their astromech companion, who quickly moved around the edge of the row of crates to face the camera, which was pivoting opposite of their perch at that moment.

Revealing the sonic stun projector from behind one of the utility panels on his chassis, Chopper took aim and fired a burst of the soundwave energy. Instantly upon impact, the circuitry of the camera was temporarily frozen, and the four Rebels were clear to make their move. Ezra and Sabine went first. The two teens found that the doors were unlocked, but discovered a motion sensor built into the wall parallel to the floor on their right. They easily jumped over the range of the device to avoid detection, but then realized they had to alert the rest of their team.

"Wait, Zeb-!" Ezra attempted to warn the Lasat warrior who was coming up behind them, to no avail. He stopped short the moment he passed the sensor, the right light now flickering rapidly in silence.

"Oh karabast! Not good!" Zeb berated himself as Chopper arrived in the doorway behind him. Sabine quickly drew a blaster and shot the motion sensor to smithereens.

"There! You think we got it in time?" the teenage Mandalorian asked cautiously. As if on cue, the overhead emergency alert alarm began blasting over the comm speakers, alerting all security personnel in the prison.

"That's definitely a no. Come on, we need to get moving! Stealth mode, over!" Ezra said as he urged the others to follow him, and they did so.

"Around the corner to the left is the nearest security station! Let's see what I can do from there!" Sabine informed her teammates as the team ran.

* * *

Meanwhile, across the Galaxy, now it was the _Ghost_ that once again sped its way through hyperspace. Kanan sat in his cabin alone, meditating in silence. The last few months had not been easy for the Jedi Knight. The physical pain of his debilitating injury had subsided, but learning how to keep functioning while completely blind was taking a lot longer. The whole ordeal had proven itself frustrating more than once, and Kanan found relying on meditation to help keep his calm and balance was effective on a level he hadn't seen for him since the early years on the run from the Empire. His eyebrows furrowed as a light nock at the door interrupted his task.

"Yes, Hera?" he asked simply. The door flew open and the rogue Twi'lek pilot stepped inside with a sympathetic expression, "Come on, you know I can't handle that face," Kanan told her a bit teasingly as he shook his head.

"And what face is that?" Hera asked with a smirk, her demeanor changing at his words. It stalled as she watched him stand.

"I don't need my eyes to know when you're giving me your sad face, now come on," Kanan pulled her into an embrace which she immediately returned.

"I just wish I could do more to help you…" Hera trailed off remorsefully.

"I know you do, and don't think I'm not grateful, but just having you with me is enough. Try not to burden yourself with it too much; I'll pull through eventually," upon hearing the words of the Jedi Knight, the rogue Twi'lek pilot fought back a sob as she pulled back enough to face him.

 **A/N: Continued immediately in Chapter 3! Enjoy!**


	3. Chapter 3: Towards Absolution

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: And now, the second half of the promised 2-part special!**

Chapter 3: Towards Absolution

Slowly, delicately, Hera pulled the mask from Kanan's blind eyes so she could look upon his face without being obstructed. He said nothing and allowed her to do so, his concerned expression mirroring hers as he felt her raise a hand to cup his bearded cheek.

"You could never be a burden to me…" she told him firmly as he raised a hand to clasp over hers, their other limbs keeping hold on one another as they consciously leaned in slowly. And with that, their lips connected.

* * *

On the sublevels of the maximum security prison on Ovoo IV, the emergency alert alarm sounded full blast as Ezra, Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper finally rounded the corner to the security station east of the storage areas. They found two troopers ready with blasters drawn and an overhead auto-turret deployed. Ezra immediately drew and ignited his new green lightsaber to block the incoming blasts form the twin barrels of the turret hanging from the ceiling.

"Halt! Drop your weapons and get down on your knees, intruders!" the trooper on the left ordered. Ezra merely scoffed as the armored soldier's words.

"How about, no?" after his sarcastic rebuttal, the young Padawan charged forward while the teenage Mandalorian and the Lasat warrior took aim with their own blasters and fired on the auto-turret that had them pinned.

The troopers immediately pulled the trigger on their weapons as Ezra closed in, but sadly for them it was futile. Ezra swiftly deflected the shots back and into the trooper on the right, who was blasted off his fleet and to the floor beside the security station terminal with a shout of pain. The one on the left had no time left to react as a single downward slash from the brash young Jedi took his life. With a menacing glare, Ezra then shifted his focus to the wounded trooper, sitting with his back against the wall, and now disarmed of his blaster. He grunted as he raised his hands in a defensive gesture.

"No, wait, I- AAGH!" an energy blade through the chestplate claimed his life as well. Sabine and Zeb had disabled the auto-turret, and caught sight of the brutal execution along with Chopper.

For these three, the sight they had just witnessed was… unsettling… unlike the friend they knew…

"Hey, kid… umm, was that really… necessary?" the veteran Lasat warrior asked hesitantly. Ezra turned his focus back to him and the others upon hearing Zeb's voice.

"The stakes on this mission are too high to take any chances," Ezra stated coldly, his eyes narrowed. The glint in his blue orbs unnerved Sabine. If she didn't know better she might have to call it… bloodlust.

"Hey, Ezra, we can just leave these guys unconscious like we have in the past, more than once anyway. No particular need to leave bodies behind if we don't have to. If he were here, Kanan would-" Sabine took a step back as she found herself abruptly cut off.

"Yeah, well, Kanan isn't here, and he hasn't been for a while! Just… just slice the security system, Sabine. Find out what we need to know," Ezra turned his back to the others, facing the opposite direction down the hall, signifying both his intent to keep a look out, and that he didn't wish to continue the conversation any further.

"All right, let's get this over with, then," Sabine stated, her tone hinting disapproval and concern as she stepped over to the console. If Ezra had caught her tone, he was choosing to ignore it.

Zeb sighed and Chopper let out a mulled chime, signifying that their moods were similar to their female teammate.

Pulling a dataspsike out from one of the pouches on her belt, the young artist inserted it into the terminal. It took some time, spent in uneasy silence, before she was able to bypass the encryption and reach the security system. Without wasting any time, Sabine began accessing any and all data relevant to their mission. All the while, the emergency alert alarm continued sounding overhead.

* * *

At the same time, inside the control room near the top of the central security tower, one of the technicians, a Human female, monitoring the security system picked up on the unfamiliar activity occurring in the sublevels below. She alerted the closest ranking officer to her unwelcome discovery, a Human male who was the warden himself.

"Commandant Nefrancis, sir, we have an unauthorized access on one of the sublevel security terminals. No use of access codes or other credentials," as she finished, she looked over her shoulder as she saw the warden step over to her station. He was a light-skinned, middle-aged man with black hair, and a gold right eye with the left socket obscured in a black eyepatch. He also had a bushy mustache, and faded scar lines along his lower left jaw. He was clearly a veteran enforcer with years of experience.

"It's Station B-18, closest to the proximity motion sensor that went on alert a couple minutes ago. No way it's a coincidence; shut it down immediately! I want all nearby teams to converge on that location at once!" the warden refused to waste any time himself as he gave his orders to his subordinates in a demanding, stern tone.

* * *

Back down at the security station in question, Sabine had been able to pinpoint where they had to go next. She turned to alert her teammates, and Ezra turned back around to face her at the sound of her voice.

"Dodonna is being held in Cellblock G-9, Cell 24! There's a lift that connects the cellblocks to the mines not far from here that we can use."

"Can you disable any of the automated security from there? The less we have to deal with, the better," the young Padawan chimed in.

"We better wrap this up quick; this location isn't exactly a safe spot for us!" Zeb reminded his younger teammates sharply.

"I'll just need another moment, and- oh haarchak!" Sabine slammed her armored fist on the console, cursing in Mando'a as the screen and controls froze, a message displaying that her access was now denied.

"Looks like they know where we are…" Zeb trailed off cautiously. At that moment, Chopper alerted them, bringing their attention to a squad of troopers who had just turned the corner at the end of the hall, in the direction the Rebels needed to go in.

"It's them! Open fire!" the sergeant ordered, and his men complied. The battle resumed once more.

* * *

At the same time this was taking place, across the Galaxy in the Outer Rim, an Imperial shuttle dropped out of hyperspace over the ancient founding world of the Order of the Sith Lords, Korriban. The desolate, barren, arid, and rocky desert world had seen centuries of destructive conflict over the millennia. Countless generations of Dark Lords had vied for power against their rivals upon its surface, and many would eventually be laid to rest within the enigmatic and foreboding tombs that dotted the surface.

The destination of the shuttle was the lone settlement on the planet, the spaceport of Dreshdae. The small town boasted a minimal population and primarily served as a waystation for spacers traveling through the star system. It was also within walking distance of the intended venture for the three Inquisitors on board the shuttle; the fabled Valley of the Dark Lords, which was the home of the most infamous and recognizable tombs on Korriban.

Inside the shuttle were four passengers and a single pilot droid; for more clandestine excursions such as this one, use of more traditional organic pilots was forgone. The passengers were Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist, Inquisitor Jerec, Inquisitor Starkiller, and HK-47. By this point, the well-armed and shielded shuttle was inside the reaches of the lower atmosphere and approaching its destination.

"Korriban, ancient founding world of the Sith. Feels like a lifetime since I was last here," the Grand Inquisitor spoke reminiscently to his cohorts.

"That's right, you visited this planet once before in the company of Lord Vader and the Emperor himself, did you not, sir?" Starkiller inquired.

"Indeed. As lifeless as it may appear, the Dark Side is very strong, here. The power of the early and the ancient Dark Lords remains ever present upon the surface. To meditate upon it and find clarity of mind is one of the final trials for someone who seeks to master the Dark Side; nobody who relies solely upon the Light Side like the Jedi can ever do so," Nachtgeist elaborated.

"I can sense the raw energies leaking from inside the tombs even up here. It feels without limit… the dead do not rest here for very long…" Jerec spoke aloud while reaching out with the Force from within his mind behind his blind eyes.

"Observation: This place is beginning to look familiar to me as well; my memory core can faintly recall times when I have been a visitor here, as well," HK-47 alerted his organic companions.

"No doubt any such memories, though fragmented, will prove useful in our task," Starkiller added sharply. At that moment, the pilot droid spoke up.

"Approaching the Dreshdae Spaceport now; the port authority recognizes our credentials as high-priority within Imperial command and has provided us VIP clearance," as the mechanized chauffer finished, Nachtgeist acknowledged the message.

"Take us down, then. All right, gentlemen, we'll be making our way over to the valley on foot through the ruins of the old academy. We have full authorization to immediately and thoroughly terminate anyone or anything that gets in our way; no witnesses are to be tolerated," upon hearing the words of their superior, Starkiller merely nodded in silence, the trademark grin returned to Jerec's face, and HK-47 was already checking to make certain his blaster carbine had a full clip on it.

It was only a few minutes later that the three Dark Side users and one ancient assassin droid were making their way through the ruins of the ancient Sith Academy that stood just a short walk from Dreshdae. Regarded as a cursed and forbidden place by superstitious folk, only the truly bold or foolhardy dared venture inside. Supposedly, only those in-tune with the power of the Dark Side could safely walk the dark halls, which even as an abandoned ruin with only sunlight leaking through doorways and holes in the roof to provide illumination still displayed remarkable architecture and décor with the walls and floors a mix of both metal and stone, and the statues of ancient Sith remained tall and stationary despite being chipped if not fragmented. The buildup of dust and dirt over the centuries was plainly evident as well.

"Once we reach the valley, where do we go from there, sir?" Starkiller inquired with the Grand Inquisitor. The menacing Evocii gave his reply simply and explanatively.

"We will find what we seek in the tomb of Darth Bane. Outside the main entrance of the academy to the north we will find the entrance to the Caverns of Kresh; the entrance to the tomb is deep within."

"With any luck, I should be able to sense the holocron once we're inside the tomb. Artifact hunting was my specialty when I was a Jedi, after all," Jerec commented as he walked alongside his cohorts.

"Assessment: There will more than likely be non-sentient meatbag beasts inhabiting this cave system. Addendum: Not as preferable as slaughtering meatbags who can form coherent screams while being killed, but it will have to suffice," HK grimly provided his own input with a hint of sinister amusement. The master of the ancient assassin droid continued as the group neared the main entrance to the valley outside.

"The caverns will be crawling with shyraks and tukatas. There may even be fools attempting to rob the tombs inside. Feel free to eliminate any and all you come across while we search for the objective, HK."

"Observation: You are never short on targets that need terminating, master. I like you!"

It was just a moment later that the three Inquisitors and the ancient assassin droid stepped out into the Valley of the Dark Lords. As they did so, the latter could faintly recall images in his damaged memory core, regarding his two previous visits to Korriban nearly four thousand years prior.

* * *

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Mid Rim of the Galaxy, another Imperial shuttle dropped out of hyperspace over the deep blue water world of Manaan. In stark contrast to barren and dry Korriban, the entire planet was landless ocean pole to pole. The only surface structures were sparsely numbered and inhabited floating settlements created by the natives, an amphibious alien race called the Selkath. Wary of outsiders since ancient times, the Selkath often limited travel in and around these settlements for offworld visitors, and subsea voyages were severely restricted, borderline banned practically. Of course, more determined and/or clever offworld visitors, such as Imperial officials, often succeeded in finding ways to circumvent these restrictions with some effort. And so it came to be that even the reclusive and traditionally independent Selkath wound up begrudgingly swearing allegiance to the Empire eventually thanks to backdoor dealings and manipulations. Now, the Imperials in general had open access to most of the planet, and the threat of full military occupation kept the Selkath mostly silent on the invasion of their once proud seclusion from the outside Galaxy as a whole. The three on board the shuttle had little difficulty spotting their destination from a considerable distance still in the sky, Ahto City, the largest and oldest of the floating surface structures. It also functioned as the planetary capital for the Imperial government. Their landing zone, Hangar Bay C-19, was readied for arrival ahead of them at the behest of the pilot droid.

"We'll be landing momentarily," said droid informed his passengers.

"Good! Then we can get to work!" Garnac said while raving in sheer anticipation, his tone suggesting something more sinister. Barris gave another roll of her eyes at his words.

"Keep in mind that the political situation here is a delicate one. I think that's why I was assigned to go with you, to keep hold of your leash. Yay for me…" the older Mirilan Inquisitor trailed off sarcastically.

"Very funny," the younger Trandoshan Inquisitor huffed in response.

* * *

Finally having made their way down to the cellblock, Ezra, Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper had cleared out the guard post on the second level of the hall, positioned between the two walkways that ran alongside the cells on the same level. The emergency alert alarm had finally subsided, but the team had no illusions that they'd permanently given their pursuers on the upper levels the slip.

The four Rebels remained quiet and still as they observed the line of prisoners being taken to their cells on the second level of the cellblock. With the entire facility on high alert, the troopers unceremoniously pulled and shoved the restraint-cladded inmates at blaster point, practically tossing them into their spartan accommodations. Finally the last of the prisoners in the line stepped through the door onto the walkway outside the second level cells on the left side of the room, another trooper marching him along with a rifle pressed to his back. Both Ezra and Sabine, along with Zeb and Chopper, recognized him quickly. Lieutenant General Jan Dodonna, formerly of the Imperial Army. Prison life had not been kind to him it seemed; he was far more scruffy and unkempt with his grey facial and head hair significantly longer. He was essentially sporting a full beard now. Closer inspection revealed scars on his face that weren't there before; revealing the grim reality that he'd been tortured. However, one look into the older man's eyes was all the young Padawan needed to ascertain his status.

"They haven't broken him; I can tell from here. He's just as dedicated to the Rebel cause as ever," as he spoke just above a whisper Ezra found himself lightly smiling at his own words in spite of himself. Sabine nodded, an unseen smirk in agreement under her helmet. This was the Ezra she'd missed just a few minutes ago…

"He's definitely a tough old geezer, I'll give him that," the teenage Mandalorian added in a similar tone.

"He didn't owe us anything; if he really endured that kind of treatment from those cowards without giving us up, he's more than worth our support anytime anywhere," Zeb commented firmly in a like manner.

"All right, let's go show him we too stand by our allies!" Ezra declared to his teammates, just below a normal voice.

Using his retractable limbs, Chopper got on the E-web repeater positioned inside the guard post while the others made their way down the stairs to the second level just below, opening the same door the prisoners had been led through before them. At this point, only Dodonna was still outside his cell. The troopers immediately caught sight of the Rebels heading their way.

"The intruders! Take them down!"

With his blaster-wielding teammates providing cover fire, Ezra drew and ignited his lightsaber as he charged down the narrow walkway, easily blocking and deflecting every blaster bolt that came his way. Dodonna recognized his would-be rescuers immediately as he watched from just outside his cell, but then gave a startled gruff as a trooper abruptly shoved him into his cell and sealed the door. The fighting outside quickly came to an end, the unfortunate armored soldiers little match for a Jedi in close quarters combat. Any that weren't hit with blasterfire from the other Rebels were either slashed with a lightsaber or thrown over the side of the walkway with the Force. The latter were more fortunate, as such as fall in their suits was only enough to knock them unconscious. Two more swings of his lightsaber later, and Ezra had freed Dodonna from his cell and severed his binders. The graying military veteran regarded the young Padawan with a smirk as he saw the latter disengage his blade.

"You've certainly become a force to be reckoned with, no pun intended, Ezra Bridger. Thank you my friends, your arrival is unexpected but welcome nonetheless."

"Come on, don't tell me you didn't have faith we'd try help you again," Sabine retorted in a bemused, sarcastic tone as she and Zeb walked over. The general, however, had a warning to give in reply.

"No, not short on faith, just long on knowing how things operate here; any element of surprise you still may have had just went out the window. The warden is no fool, and breaking out will be more difficult than breaking in, I assure you," Dodonna elaborated as he picked up a blaster rifle from a fallen trooper.

"I say bring it on! If rank-and-file troopers are all the warden has to throw at us, I think we're pretty much in the clear," Ezra grinned at his own words, his confidence evident in his tone.

* * *

It was at that moment that, under direct orders from Commandant Nefrancis, the ESRTF, or Emergency Security Response Task Force, had just finished gearing up for deployment in the armory. These personnel were an elite experimental company formed at the behest of High Command with support from Grand Moff Tarkin, Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist, and the recently-promoted Admiral of the 7th Fleet, Thrawn. They were similar in appearance to the standard troopers of the Empire, but differed in that their white armor was slightly thicker in the chest, arm, and leg sections. Also, they boasted long rectangular shields of matching color, and wielded long and imposing force pikes instead of the standard blaster rifle. As an identifying marker, a modified version of the Old Republic's Correctional Authority insignia was painted over their left shoulder plates, in that the traditional circle inside a triangle was painted grey and red respectively. The commanding officer had the distinction of insignias on both shoulders. Getting in double file line, the ESRTF began steadily marching from the armory, completely prepared for heavy combat at any moment.

 **A/N: I've already begun formulating and writing Chapter 4. In the meantime, let me know what you folks think of these latest chapters, if you please. For those of you who may not be too familiar with the original concept art for Star Wars, I've based the ESRTF on the early designs for Stormtrooper armor created by Ralph McQuarrie, who I am pretty sure most of you recognize as the artist behind much of the concept art for Star Wars that was either recycled or inspired for the designs we've seen featured in Rebels. Thanks for reading! I wish you all the best. :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Price of Power

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: I imagine most if not all of you are both aware of and bummed that the next episode of Rebels isn't to be released until November 5** **th** **. So, here's a little something to tide you folks over in the meantime. Enjoy!**

Chapter 4: Price of Power

The only somewhat safe access point to the Caverns of Kresh was located on the northwestern edge of the Valley of the Dark Lords. Named for the ancient Dark Lord of the Sith, Ludo Kresh, after his failed bid for dominance over the ancient Sith, his rival ordered that his tomb be built far from sight of the older, more revered Dark Lords who were laid to rest in the valley. And so it was decided the tomb would be constructed deep inside a natural cave system, which was only sparsely illuminated by sunlight seeping through holes on the surface above. Centuries later, another tomb would be built nearby, the final resting place of Darth Bane, the intended venture point of the three Inquisitors and the ancient assassin droid accompanying them.

"Assessment: It would appear my thorough work in eliminating non-sentient meatbags in these caves has provided us a trail to follow back outside; the probability of losing sense of direction has now been significantly reduced. Addendum: You're welcome, associates of the master," HK informed both Jerec and Starkiller as-a-matter-of-fact. Jerec ignored the declaration, while Starkiller chose to humor their mechanized companion.

"Yes, very good. Thank you, droid," as the younger of the two Human Inquisitors finished, the group neared a deep and dark chasm just ahead of them. A natural rock bridge was their only way across. The Evocii leading them, the Grand Inquisitor, spoke up next.

"The few traces of maps I've been able to piece together regarding this place have led me to conclude we will find the entrance to the tomb we seek across this drop. Onward over the bridge, one at a time if you please," his tone as he spoke was just below commanding. One by one, his subordinates obeyed, and he went last following HK, who was analyzing their surroundings as if scanning them. He spoke up again as the group all met up on the other side of the chasm, two doorways to separate tombs coming into view around them, one to the left, and another to the right.

"Commentary: Relaying the optical images from my photoreceptors to my central processing core has given me strong impressions that I've definitely been through these caves before. The tomb on the left of the bridge is not the one we seek; it is the tomb of Ludo Kresh," as the ancient assassin droid finished, Jerec stepped forward, silently concentrating on the aforementioned tomb through the Force.

"I'm not sensing any traces of a powerful artifact in that one anyway, which means either the droid is correct, the energies in the tomb are blocking my senses, or the objective has already been taken by looters," the blind Inquisitor looked over as the saw his superior step forward. Nachtgeist clarified while Starkiller observed in silence.

"Darth Bane was no fool, he recognized the immeasurable importance of the only holocron ever constructed by Revan. I doubt anyone unworthy seeking it would emerge from this place alive. The tomb we seek is on the right, then. Well done, HK."

"Acknowledgement: Thank you, master. A pleasure to be of service, even if the task at hand does not involve delightful termination."

Once the group stood before the entrance to the tomb on the right, the three Inquisitors reached out through the Force, their combined power more than sufficient to unlock the heavy double stone doors blocking their way. Slowly, the doors grinded across the floor and the ceiling of the doorway as they slid open, revealing the faintly-lit final resting place of the Dark Lord known as Darth Bane.

"Be mindful, my esteemed cohorts. In places such as these, not everything is as it seems," the Grand Inquisitor warned his teammates. And with that, the four moved inside.

* * *

Elsewhere in the Outer Rim of the Galaxy, the _Ghost_ dropped out of hyperspace over Nar Shaddaa. The city-moon was bustling with incoming and outgoing starship traffic as per usual, but fortunately Hera and Kanan did not have to wait for authorization from local space traffic control; the local supplier sympathetic to the Rebel cause had a lease on a landing pad near their shop. And of course, little attention is given to private business if it does not concern you on "The Smuggler's Moon".

The supply depot which had hovercarts of crates loaded with provisions, including ammunition, ready for loading and transport to Atollon was in the same neighborhood as the local refugee district in the northeastern boroughs on the moon. Perhaps by stroke of fate, or sheer coincidence, a few familiar faces caught sight of the Rebel starship as it flew overhead on its final approach. Hera and Kanan hadn't even set foot off the boarding ramp when their welcoming party came into view for Hera, but it was only at the sound of the voice of the one leading them that Kanan found himself taken aback with surprise.

"I thought I recognized that ship! Kanan Jarrus, remember me? Hey, what happened with your eyes? You okay?"

"Kavir… Kavir Oslan is that you?! By the Force, we thought you died on Ord Mantell!" the shock was evident in the voice of the Jedi Knight, and Hera recognized the name from what she learned from her crew about the mission in the aftermath. Indeed, the young freedom fighter had been regarded as deceased, fallen to his death from the stolen gunship high above the capital city as the Seismic Bomb demolished it. She also didn't miss the various scars on his face and left hand, or his new cybernetic right arm. Perhaps noticing the rogue Twi'lek pilot eyeing his artificial limb, he explained to the both of them.

"You were almost correct in that assumption. I blacked out when I fell inta' what was apparently a building in the process of collapsing. When I came to, my right arm was trapped under the rubble, almost all my bones were broken, and I was bleeding pretty bad. Woulda' died right then an' there, but the boys 'ere pulled me out," he gestured to his companions with a thumb over his shoulder before continuing, "Sadly, they had to amputate my arm on the spot, with nothin' to dull the pain even a little. Hurt like a son of a bitch, lemme tell you. All of us were in pretty bad shape, but I suppose I had the worst of it. We stayed underground for a few days until activity in the ruins died down, and escaped to the countryside. One thing led to another, and eventually we smuggled our way offworld, and wound up here with the other refugees. Black market doctors are a serious pain, but at least we found a couple here that know their stuff. We're all that's left of the resistance from Ord Mantell."

Hera was the first to speak after the two Rebels absorbed the tale of survival, folding her arms over her chest as she regarded the group of battered resistance fighters before them with a bemused smirk.

"You guys are looking to join the Rebellion, aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am, we certainly are! Our home may be firmly under the boot of the Empire, but we ain't gonna let that stop us from fightin' for her freedom in any way we can!" Kavir gestured to himself and his companions with both his hands, and they either smiled or grinned as they nodded in agreement.

"I'm certain we can bring you gentlemen into our ranks. As Captain of Phoenix Squadron, I'll give you your first assignment now; help Kanan and I load the crates from our supplier around the corner onto the ship. Can you manage that with your new arm, Kavir?" Hera asked.

"Won't be no problem at all, Captain. I know the place you're talkin' about. All right boys, let's get to it!"

"I'll catch up with you boys in a bit, I need to make sure the _Ghost_ is secure on this decaying landing pad," the rogue Twi'lek pilot informed the others, who left after acknowledging her.

As the group made their way over to the supply depot less than a block away, Kavir supported Kanan, helping the blind Jedi find his way.

"So that Twi'lek is your pilot?" the blonde resistance fighter asked curiously.

"Yeah, she is," Kanan replied simply.

"Damn, you lucky Jedi, you," Kavir's remark earned him an annoyed glare from the blind Jedi Knight, "What?"

* * *

Meanwhile over in the Mid Rim, Inquisitor Garnac and Inquisitor Barris had made their way to the Imperial embassy in Ahto City, and found that at the discretion of the ISB, a submersible and trooper escort had been prepped for them in advance. Their destination, the partially-flooded remains of an old deep ocean research station that was abruptly decommissioned and lost over three and half millennia prior. Granted unrestricted access to the ocean floor with their takeover of the planetary government, the Imperials employed professional oceanographers who were able to move freely without any interference from the reluctantly-compliant Selkath. These experts were successful in locating what remained of the old facility, and the ISB had been sent in to investigate and secure it. Something crucial to Operation: Infinite Horizon was among the research material lost with the station, and it was up to the unlikely partners in the Inquisition to uncover and retrieve what that was. At the launch pool located behind the Imperial embassy, Garnac and Barris watched as their escort boarded their vessel ahead of them, and they were briefed on the situation down below by a familiar face from the ISB. Agent Kallus addressed the two Dark Side users respectfully and informatively.

"The majority of the facility has been crushed or broken apart by centuries of deep water pressure and rust, but the most secured section, the laboratories in the center of the station, are still accessible. At the request of your Grand Inquisitor, we've deployed a portable fusion generator to power up any electric systems still in operating condition. Bear in mind, what's left of the complex has broken from its foundation supports and is lying unsecure near the edge of an undersea cliff. All accessible, interior portions that are still in once piece are flooded, up to the waist in some locations. Simply put, what remains of this place is severely unstable, and your safety cannot be guaranteed, Inquisitors," upon processing the words of their host, Garnac was first to speak up.

"Hah! The more danger the better! Any warrior worth half the honor of going into the field fears nothing!"

"Ignore him, he's… being his usual self, actually. Regardless, we will approach this with all due caution. Thank you for briefing us, agent," Barris gave her own reply more formally.

"Very well. We have a pilot droid programmed with the latest maps of the ocean floor ready to take you and this squad to the facility. Best of luck for your mission."

After the two Inquisitors took their seats in the submersible, the craft's engines hummed to life and in the next moment it was off, bright headlights projecting out to help guide the way down into the watery darkness. The descent took some time, as the remains of the facility were a considerable distance on the ocean floor from Ahto City. Perhaps it was the sudden decrease in temperature affecting his cold blood, or simply sheer boredom, but either way Garnac fell asleep, his snoring much to the chagrin of his reluctant partner who sat beside him. Finally to her relief, the stricken wreckage of the old research station slowly came into few, the silhouette faintly visible only thanks to the headlights on the submersible. As delicately as possible, the droid piloted the small craft into the only launch pool still intact and in serviceable condition.

Even this part of the station was more flooded than it should have been, the water level at least a couple of feet above the rim of pool. The headlights illuminated the portable fusion generator, placed on stands to keep it dry above the water beneath it. The squad of troopers were the first to disembark, the sergeant activating the generator so the droid could make use of magnetic docking clamps to secure the submersible, which easily remained their best chance at a safe departure. Elbowing the male Trandoshan awake, startling him in the process, Barris then exited the craft with Garnac in tow. With electrical power up and running in any systems still in working order, one of the troopers activated the ceiling lights, finally providing sufficient illumination for their surroundings. Even so, not every light was functional. This combined with the fact that the water was up to the knees gave the abandoned station an ominous appearance and feel.

"Sergeant, you and your squad keep this area secure. My associate and I will scour the laboratories for what we seek," Barris informed the lead trooper.

"As you wish, we'll await your return and keep the comm channel open," the sergeant acknowledged in reply.

"Let's get this over with, cold bloods like myself weren't meant to wander around on the ocean floor," Garnac slightly shivered as he growled, attempting to brush off his obvious discomfort.

"What happened to you not fearing _anything_?" the Mirilan Inquisitor couldn't contain her meanly-spirited mirth and condescending smirk in response.

"Oh please, shut up would ya?!" the Trandoshan Inquisitor gave his retort immediately. And with that, the two headed further inside the sunken research station.

It wasn't long before they had wadded their way to the main laboratory. The severely-decayed skeletons of multiple Selkath were strewn about the room, most of them strapped to operating tables. However, it was the rusting metallic emplacements attached to some of the partially-dissolved bones that caught the eyes of the Dark Side users. Barris walked over to get a closer look while Garnac inspected some long-forgotten surgical instruments on a cart that lay mostly submerged off in the top left corner of the room.

"These are cybernetic implants, grafted augments based on their prominence in the cranial region plus the joints," the female Mirilan Inquisitor deduced.

"The process with which they were applied doesn't appear to have been a pleasant one; I can't find any pain-dulling chemicals anywhere. Still, is this what the leader is after?" the male Trandoshan Inquisitor questioned.

Barris appeared to disregard the query of her teammate at first, as she silently, cautiously laid a gloved hand upon the rusted implant on the broken skull that lay back on the table below her. The long-broken cybernetic piece, which had been out of working condition for millennia, initially felt cold to the touch. Within a moment of laying her hand on it however, Barris felt her eyes widen as the metal suddenly warmed beneath her fingers. She felt the Force within her hand synchronizing with latent energy inside the implant, and she understood at last.

"These weren't just any cybernetic augments… they resonate with the Force! Whatever material they are made from must have a strong affinity to it," as she spoke, Garnac wadded over to her and touched one of his bare claws to the implant on the knee of the decaying skeleton.

"Yes, I feel it as well! The Force is alive in these implants! But isn't such material extremely rare? Not even holocrons have this kind of energy in their structure."

"Exactly, on both counts. This has to be what the Grand Inquisitor needs from this place. We'll take as many as we can safely carry on the sub back to the surface," the former disillusioned Jedi Padawan stated.

"Sounds good to me," the orphaned, scarred Trandoshan agreed.

* * *

Across the Mid Rim back on Ovoo IV, Dodonna had convinced his would-be rescuers to help him release other political and military prisoners who had also been locked up in Cellblock G-9. This small group of humans and aliens alike armed themselves with blasters taken from fallen troopers. The unconscious ones were moved over to the previously-cleared cells and locked up. Finally with the task at hand completed, the teenage Mandalorian spoke up.

"We should get moving; we'll need to make our way back to the surface and infiltrate the central security tower, steal a ship, and shut off the portal ring to get through the shield," upon hearing the planned course of action, the veteran general felt the need to clarify an important matter for them.

"I'm afraid all but one of the ships kept in the hangar bays in the tower are not hyperspace-capable; only the shuttle used by the warden himself has a hyperdrive. We'll need to secure it before they fly it out of here to keep it from our reach, which they will do."

"You've been here the longest, old man. What would you suggest we do?" Zeb asked, firmly but respectfully. Both Ezra and Sabine nodded, interested in hearing the same as well. Chopper and the other freed prisoners waited in silence.

"We should split into two groups, each one tasked with one objective so we can accomplish both simultaneously. I'll take these prisoners and secure the bay with the shuttle, A-1. We'll need to borrow your astromech so he can power up the ship for us. We'll have it ready to go the moment you three arrive. Make you shut off the projection ring and disable the controls so it stays off. See if you can disable the power to the anti-ship turrets that will without a doubt try to shoot us down. The main control room is just a couple floors above the hangar bays in the tower, so reaching us once you complete your task shouldn't be too difficult," upon hearing the assessment and strategy of the old general, the Rebels agreed it was the best course of action.

"As good a plan as any," Zeb stated. Ezra nodded before looking over to their mechanized companion.

"All right, Chopper, once we breach the tower, you'll go with Dodonna and the others. You clear on that?" Ezra smiled as the astromech immediately chimed in binary response, confirming he understood.

"Then it's settled, let's go! The mines are our best bet for a straight shot out of here," Sabine reiterated the escape plan from earlier. The aging veteran then stepped forward to offer his hand as a guide.

"We can show you the way from here, we've all been thrown in that miserable place to dig at all hours of the day."

With that the team of Rebels, their older ally, and fellow escapees began making their way from the cellblock, and out to face the rest of the mission that lay before them. They were completely unaware that the ESRTF was well on its way to intercept them. Meanwhile, with every squad of troopers they had to face, Ezra felt his frustration grow, and Sabine didn't miss the changes becoming more and more clear in the young Padawan of whom she cared for. Neither she, nor he, or anyone else present would be prepared for what they would face next. The struggle of life and death, when made abundantly clear, has a habit of bringing out either the best, or the worst in people.

* * *

Down in the dark reaches of the Caverns of Kresh, within the forbidden expanses of the tomb of Darth Bane, the three Inquisitors and the ancient assassin droid continued to navigate their way with Jerec guiding them. The stone halls were dimly lit by archaic but ever-burning wall torches, and only occasionally slightly obstructed by ceramic jars placed off to the side. The male Human Inquisitor, blind since birth, specialized in seeing through the Force with his Mind's Eye rather than his physical ones. Before his defection from the Jedi after the fall of their Order and the Old Republic, he was a Knight who had been tasked with locating ancient Force relics for safekeeping. It was little surprise that after being enlisted into the Inquisition that he found himself once more facing similar work, but this time seeking these relics mainly for the power within as desired by his superiors, often specifically the two Sith in charge of the Empire. Of course, he sometimes chose to keep some lesser relics for his own purposes, a fact his superiors were aware of but chose to ignore as long as he fulfilled his duties to them. This included the Grand Inquisitor, who trailed behind him with both HK-47 and Starkiller in tow.

"Are we any closer, Jerec?" the Evocii Dark Side master inquired with his cohort. Another moment of silence passed before the man in question came to halt at the center of a four-sided room.

The single corridor they had been following now split into three directions around them. Jerec silently raised his right, gloved hand, splayed open, signifying he required further quiet as he focused through the Force. Starkiller monitored their surroundings while the Grand Inquisitor peered in the direction on the hall to the right as Jerec slowly turned his head, still focusing closely and intently. Finally, the blind Inquisitor spoke up.

"This way… we will find what we seek in the burial chamber."

"Figures. Based on my own studies, Darth Bane coveted that holocron more so than even the one he eventually crafted himself," the Grand Inquisitor stated.

"Another relic for another day, perhaps," Starkiller added as he and HK followed the two older Inquisitors down the hall.

It was another pair of twists and turns before the four finally arrived in the circular chamber that held the rectangular sarcophagus in the middle. The sarcophagus was flanked on both sides by twin human-shaped statues standing with their arms crossed acutely over their chests, fists out by the sides of their featureless faces. The walls were lined by multiple torches, providing faint but sufficient viewing light in the chamber. A stout and narrow, pyramid-like sculpture stood on the other side of the chamber, above the final resting place of the former Dark Lord. From a distance, it might be mistaken for a large holocron, but as Jerec kept his sightless focus on it, Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist understood.

"It's in there, isn't it?"

"Indeed… it's an archaic but well-crafted vault that can only be opened with the Force… one who has an advanced, superior knowledge of the Dark Side…"

"Observation: Based on those parameters, the master will have to be one to complete the task," at the words of their mechanized companion, both Jerec and Starkiller silently nodded and watched as their superior stepped forward to do just that. He reached out with his own gloved hand. He could feel the locking mechanism built into the top of the pyramid, which functioned as a lid. Slowly but surely he began to sense the tumblers rolling, and the top began to disconnect from the rest of the sculpture.

"It cannot possibly be this easy…" the Evocii Dark Side master mumbled warily, having trouble believing this would be the end of their journey. His suspicions were confirmed but a moment later.

"Indeed, it isn't..."

Immediately turning around in the direction of what was a disembodied, ghastly, and ominous voice, the three Inquisitors and the ancient assassin droid stood face to face with a dark, nearly-corporeal image of a human male, clad in ancient, orbalisk armored suit and mask with a royal purple cape. His bare hands were deathly pale, and his eyes nearly glowed in deep red as they narrowed in the direction of the four in front of them. An eerie, red-hazed cloud of dark mist that matched his glowing eyes seemed to permeate from where he stood. Jerec and Starkiller both drew and ignited their doublesabers while HK-47 raised his blaster carbine. Nachtgeist meanwhile stepped back over to his cohorts slowly, eyeing the specter before his team carefully.

"Hold your attack, all of you. We stand before the presence, or at least the image, of Darth Bane himself!" the Grand Inquisitor alerted the others sharply, and only HK didn't seem the least bit fazed by this news. Perhaps his programming wouldn't allow for it.

"You are correct, trespasser; it is _never_ that easy. Power always has a price, and only the worthy can be prepared to pay it. Prove yourselves to me if you wish to leave with the holocron, or your lives!"

Nachtgeist drew and ignited his custom lightsaber in his right hand, simultaneously as the ghost of Darth Bane drew and ignite twin purple lightsabers in each hand. At once, the battle began. With a blast of Force energy, the ancient Dark Lord sent Jerec, Starkiller, and HK-47 off their feet and to the ground, stunning them as he lunged at the Grand Inquisitor, who drew and ignited his second saber to help counter the incoming attack. Twin purple blades and twin red blades surged and slashed back and forth, the two adversaries keeping up with one another blow for blow.

"You're strong… but you aren't Sith," the ghost of Darth Bane analyzed his still-living foe.

"I don't need to be granted the title of Sith Lord, all I need is the power of one," Nachtgeist retorted.

"You think yourself prepared for what such power entails?" as the specter spoke, he didn't miss the other three rising back up out of the corners of his eyes.

"There is no consequence I will not accept to ensure what must be done comes to pass," Nachtgeist felt his own eyes narrow in sheer determination at his words, and the shade of the ancient Sith before him didn't miss the conviction, either.

"There may be some worth to you after all... we shall see!"

With the weapons of the other Inquisitors and the ancient assassin droid readied once more, the four on one duel began in full. The raw power of the Dark Side surged in the very air around the combatants.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on Nar Shaddaa, Kanan and Hera along with Kavir and his team had finished loading the supplies onto the _Ghost_ for transport to Atollon. With the work complete, outside on the landing pad Hera turned to address the former resistance operative as the last of his men walked back down the ramp, having just finished loading the last crate.

"This job was done in a fraction of the time thanks to you boys. Now, Kanan and I are going to meet with our supplier regarding the next pickup. You guys stay here and guard the ship for us until we return. And no offense, but I've locked down the controls in the cockpit."

"Aw, don't trust us, huh?" Kavir started in mock-hurt, but he held a lighthearted smile through the act, "Can't blame ya though, real fine vessel ya got 'ere, Captain Syndulla. Should we just wait out here?"

"No, you can all wait inside the main hold if you'd prefer. We'll be heading out as soon as we get back. Let's go, Kanan," Hera turned and began walking, placing her hand on Kanan's shoulder as she did so.

"Fine, fine," Kanan said as he allowed her to lead him.

As Kavir and his own crew boarded the Rebel starship, and the rogue Twi'lek pilot and the blind Jedi Knight walked out of sight, none of them caught sight of a figure that lay crouched in shadow up on the ledge of a building just off to the right of the landing. An infamous Mandalorian bounty hunter, clad in aged but durable armor with a jetpack mounted behind his torso, made sure his blaster rifle was fully loaded. He had been observing through the rangefinder on his helmet. His watch had just come to an end.

 **A/N: Well, I think you all can surmise that the next chapter is when and where the action kicks into high gear. I do hope you enjoyed this latest installment! I've already begun formulating Chapter 5. On another important note, I give my sincerest gratitude to each and every one who has reviewed, and/or has favored and is following this story. Your support is greatly appreciated. Again, thank you all for reading and have a good one. :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Uncovering Truths

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: Time for the next installment of my continuing trilogy. Admittedly, I've been feeling under the weather this week, but I persevered to get this out for you guys on the normal weekly basis. Now, enjoy!**

Chapter 5: Uncovering Truths

The network of mining tunnels that ran beneath the surface on Ovoo IV were indeed expansive. Their overall size nearly rivaled that of the sublevels of the prison facility itself. With the emergency alert and resulting high security lockdown initiated, the mines were, for the time being, cleared of all laborers. Protocol dictates that during such sequences all prisoners must remain confined to their cells. This made the mines the ideal route for an attempt at an escape to the surface for the Rebels and the would-be escapees they had sprung from their cells, Jan Dodonna among them.

Aware that a full-blown revolt was in progress, and knowing full well that the sprung prisoners and their rescuers would need to obtain access through the energy shield surrounding the asteroid, Warden Nefrancis had summoned the ESRTF to the central security tower, to block the one and only access route to the main control room. The lower levels of the tower were on siege mode. Two full companies of troopers, along with blast-proof barricades and overhead autoturrets, hunkered down with blasters at the ready.

The Rebels and their allies would need to fight tooth and nail, in close quarters combat, to even come in reach of the wall of shields and force pikes awaiting them several stories above. Perhaps anticipating their passage through the mines, the warden had all power cut to the single security turbolift connecting the underground tunnels to the surface, and as an added measure, ordered proximity charges set just out of sight behind several rocks in the narrow route to the lift access. The moment they picked up the sounds of footsteps coming in range, it would be too late to try and defuse them. It was at this point that Ezra, Sabine, Zeb, Chopper, Dodonna, and the others were all approaching this access point to the lift. The sudden pinging of the motion sensors alerted them quickly, as Sabine herself was rather familiar with the sound.

"Run for it! Now!" the teenage Mandalorian took off with the young padawan at her side, and the rest of their team and allies in tow. The blasts weren't severe enough to cause any significant injury once some distance was achieved, but the tunnel around them began collapsing nonetheless.

One of the prisoners, a light-skinned Human male with dark blonde hair, abruptly came to a halt and allowed the few who were behind to run past him. Both Ezra and Sabine had been the first to reach the alcove where the door to the security lift was built into the wall of rock in front of the escapees. They watched with wide eyes, soon joined by the others, as the Human prisoner kept the collapsing corridor at bay just in time for the last of the prisoners to make it to safety. Ezra ran back over in the direction of the other Force wielder, raising his own arms to take some of the pressure off. He could feel the tremendous weight the man in front of him was holding off through his own connection to the Force.

"Come on! Get over here while I can keep it up!" Ezra alerted the other Human, who nodded over his shoulder before turning and sprinting the rest of the way to safety, joining the others he had no doubt saved. With the corridor clear, Ezra finally let the collapsing rubble go. It was within the next instant the entire access point was blocked with fallen chunks of rock. Surely anyone who'd still been caught inside would've been crushed to death by now, "That was… too close…" Ezra huffed out as he placed his hands on his knees and caught his breath. Sabine moved over to support him while Zeb did for the other Human who had been pivotal in rescuing them. Ezra continued as he looked over to the latter, "You were great! Who are you, and how do you know to use the Force?"

"Perhaps it's time, then. He told us he wanted to keep it secret until we were safe, but it looks like we'll be needing his skills as much as yours to escape this place, Rebels," Dodonna said as he stepped forward, placing a supportive hand on the shoulder of the other Force wielding Human, who finally cleared his throat and spoke up.

"My name is Zett Jukassa. I know how to use the Force because I was a Padawan in the Jedi Order in the final years of the Clone Wars," at his words, spoken solemnly with resignation, the Rebels, save Chopper, felt their eyes go wide at the revelation.

"Another surviving Padawan, like Kanan…" the veteran Lasat warrior thought aloud.

"How did you end up here?" Sabine inquired with the former Jedi.

"I was nearly killed when the temple on Coruscant fell. I feigned my death and was able to slip away when the fighting died down. For a while, I worked under an assumed name on behalf of the last Queen of Naboo, who was attempting an early resistance to the Empire. Her ploy was uncovered and her uprising was crushed before it could truly begin. I was captured during the raid, posing as a loyalist to her throne in the security forces. I've succeeded in keeping my former identity as a Jedi a secret while being incarcerated in this hellhole. But now, it seems the time for secrets is over," as if compelled by the words of the young man before them, Ezra stepped forward, offering his hand in kinship.

"My name is Ezra Bridger, and I'm a Padawan now myself. My master….," the orphan from Lothal trailed off suddenly, dark memories of his last mission with Kanan flooding back into his mind as he spoke. He shrugged them off for the moment and continued, "My master was a Padawan like you when the temple fell. It took him a while, but he decided to return to his former self as a Jedi. I'm sure you'd be a welcome addition to the ranks of the Rebellion," Ezra gave a sincere smile at his words, but frowned at what he heard in reply as Zett shook his head in apparent dismissal.

"Your offer is appreciated, but I'm not sure. Perhaps once this mess is over with, and if we're still alive to talk about it, then I can think more clearly on what to do next."

Ezra nodded as he understood, and Sabine recognized this acceptance. After all, sometimes even now it only seemed like it was just yesterday when her slightly younger teammate had to make the decision to leave his former life behind to join the crew. A binary chirping alerted everyone to Chopper discovering their dilemma with the security turbolift, now their only way out of the blocked alcove they stood within.

"Chopper says that there's no power to the turbolift. The Empire must have known we were coming this way and shut it down!" Ezra barely had time to register his impending sense of desperation as Zett walked over to stand at his side.

"Nothing can compare to the power of the Force. Surely your master taught you this, right?" hearing the words of the older, former Jedi, Ezra couldn't help but mirror the sincere, light smile that formed on the face of the former.

"Yeah, he did," and with that, the two Force wielders reached out to unlock the door to the turbolift. At that moment, it felt as if nothing at all could deny their escape.

* * *

In the burial chamber of the tomb of Darth Bane, the duel of the three Inquisitors, and the ancient assassin droid, against the ghost of the ancient Dark Lord had intensified. The eerie glow of the wall torches was drowned out by the flashes of red as lightsabers slashed and hacked back and forth, and blaster bolts went flying through the air at high speed. The limited mobility in the confined space left little room for error with the combatants. Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist and the specter of Darth Bane both displayed their own skills with the Makashi form, designed specifically for lightsaber-on-lightsaber dueling.

Using his corporeal, almost mist-like form, the latter presented an unnatural defensive ability, leaving him able to counter all four opponents simultaneously as he surged between them within the blink of an eye. Jerec and Starkiller kept both hands tightly gripped on their doublesabers while HK-47 kept firing at a distance. The initial strategy to try and quickly overwhelm the ghost had been quickly broken, but the vicious specter did not miss the use of hand symbol Nachtgeist gave his cohorts with free fingers he occasionally raised from the hilts of his twin sabers. A new plan of attack was already in the works.

Suddenly, Jerec hurled his doublesaber in a spinning throw, to which the specter of Darth Bane was quick to raise his left saber in a move to block it. Using his own left hand, Starkiller fired out a blast of Force lightning, and the ghost of the ancient Dark Lord raised his right saber to block that as well. With his center exposed, the phantom appeared to be pinned without hope for defense as Nachtgeist surged forward, ready to impale the former with his own two lightsabers. Grinning to himself from beneath his armored mask, the specter of Darth Bane unleashed an unnerving howl, empowered by the Force. This was a devastating sonic blast known as the Force scream, a Dark Side technique used by the ancient Sith. The attack was so intense, the Grand Inquisitor was sent flying at high speed into the stone wall, narrowly missing colliding with a lit torch. Both of his lightsabers deactivated and fell to the floor as he slumped down between them, seemingly down for the count.

"A clever ploy, but futile!" the ghost of Darth Bane cackled at his foes, however his grin faded as Starkiller spoke up, keeping more lightning firing from the fingers on his left hand while Jerec swapped out saber throws for lightning of his own. The surging electrical energies kept the vicious specter pinned.

"When facing a stronger opponent, outmaneuvering them is key. Surely you know this as well, _my lord_ ," the younger Human Inquisitor finished mockingly.

Before he had a chance to react, the phantom found sharp, cold steel plunged straight through his back. Discarding his blaster carbine, HK-47 had produced a retractable blade from the top of his right wrist. An unseen leap through the air from behind while his enemy was distracted proved to be the window of opportunity the ancient assassin droid needed. Leaving the vicious specter little time to process what was happening, HK cemented the serious blow by charging a pulse of electrical energy into the blade, electrocuting the partially-invisible phantom while the latter let out another scream, this one in agony. Now distracted by the new attack, in the next instant he found himself being shot full of more lightning from the Inquisitors on his flanks. HK had leapt back off of him just in time to avoid being caught in the lightning. The mechanized killer picked up his blaster carbine and began shooting the electrocuting specter in the back. Rising back to his feet and recalling his lightsabers through the Force, Nachtgeist reactivated both blades and threw them straight into the chest of the ghost as the latter fell to his knees. The wound would have indeed been fatal, had Darth Bane still been alive to actually die.

With their new strategy an evident success, the three Inquisitors and the ancient assassin droid ceased their devastating barrage and moved in as the specter fell face-first onto the stone floor beneath them as Nachtgeist recalled both of his lightsabers again. The two lightsabers wielded by the fallen ghost were deactivated and also on the floor in front of him. Not willing to take any chances, both Starkiller and Jerec drew both away from his reach with the Force. The three Inquisitors kept their own blades raised and ready to strike again at any moment, while HK slowly approached with his blaster carbine perfectly aimed. A demented chuckling alerted the four to the fact that the ghost was indeed still 'alive', more or less. Without even lifting a single limb, the ghost picked himself up off the floor as if by sheer telekinesis, his grin returned to his face beneath his armored mask. However, he made no move to retrieve his lightsabers.

"Well, well... it would appear I have been bested, yet again. My apprentice was stronger than any of you… but it seems your ingenuity makes up for what you lack in raw power."

"Theory: If physical attacks do actually work as intended here, I wonder if it possible to rip out the squishy components of this partially-obscured meatbag spirit," HK commented as he kept his blaster carbine up with finger squarely on the trigger. His master spoke next.

"You admit defeat, ghost. Allow us to depart with the holocron as you said you would," Nachtgeist demanded sharply, quick to press their victory. The vicious specter slowly nodded in agreement while observing his victorious opponents with interest.

"Take it, you have proven yourselves worthy. Whether or not you can handle the secrets Revan stored within remains to be seen, however…"

"Knowledge is power, Dark Lord, and like I said before, the power of a Sith is what I require for what is to come," the Grand Inquisitor retorted. After deactivating and sheathing his blades, he finished removing the lid from the pyramid vault, and retrieved the holocron that lay within at last. It was, like the vessel that had contained it, pyramid in shape with golden rims. Its core radiated dark, crimson red light, and it was decorated in pitch black painted lines in patterns around the four sides. Nachtgeist could feel the burning eyes of the ghost on him as he studied the holocron closely, holding it aloft in his right hand.

"You came here with purpose and a clear goal in mind, ready to fight to the death to triumph no matter the odds. I will admit, you have the makings of a True Sith within you… he would definitely approve…" the specter of the ancient Dark Lord trailed off as he thought aloud.

"Who? Revan?" Starkiller inquired. The phantom merely shook his head, chuckling slightly.

"No, Revan was never truly a Sith. He was always something… different. The one I refer to… he is the one who set me on this path as the Dark Lord behind the Rule of Two."

"Your master, then?" Jerec asked while stepping forward.

"No… the master of my master… but we have spoken enough. You have what you seek, our business is concluded. You may leave the way you came," as if to enunciate his point, the specter began fading away.

"Then so we shall," Nachtgeist replied as his cohorts deactivated and sheathed or holstered their weaponry.

"Remember, in the darkness, it is only ambition that guides you…" and with that, the specter of the ancient Dark Lord evaporated from sight, leaving the group alone in the forbidden tomb once more. Their mission was complete, and the hidden knowledge of the legend known as Revan was in their hands at last.

"Come on, gentlemen. It is time for us to make our way to the rendezvous point," Nachtgeist decreed as he led the way out of the burial chamber.

"Oh goody, I've been curious as to how Barris and Garnac have been getting along," Jerec grinned at his own words as he spoke.

"Hopefully they completed their mission without killing each other instead," Starkiller commented dryly as they walked.

"Commentary: Now that I would certainly like to see," HK added with rather sinister enthusiasm.

"Of course _you_ would," the younger Human Inquisitor immediately replied with a roll of his own eyes.

* * *

Back on Ovoo IV, the Rebels and their allies had finally reached the final phase of their escape plan. Inside the upper levels of the central security tower, the heavily-armored troopers that made up the ESRTF stood in formation within the lone hallway that connected the main control room to the rest of the facility. Had their helmets not concealed their faces, each trooper would be clearly visible with an expression of sheer determination and master focus. One of these troopers addressed their commanding officer, who stood at the left flank of the second row.

"Do you think a Jedi is really among them, sir?"

"Oh, I'm counting on it! This is our first opportunity to prove our training against one of their kind, and there aren't many Jedi left as it stands," Captain Sentarion, a young but exceptional Human officer, replied steadily.

"A shame our instructor won't be here to witness this fight," another trooper in the formation lamented.

"We owe it to Commander Barca to prove he was not wrong to entrust the ancient combat techniques of his people to us. He is a personal confidant of the Grand Inquisitor, you know," Sentarion added.

"Who would've figured a species like the Evocii would be great at melee combat? Aren't they all slaves to the Hutts?" the first trooper inquired.

"Not all of them, apparently. Barca is the leader of an elite sect of warriors in their culture, from what I was told. Now, prepare yourselves, men! Today, we prove our mettle!" Sentarion finished.

"Sir yes sir!" was the reply the rest of the formation in what was perfect unison, a mere hint of their precise training as a unified team.

The fighting down below was already intensifying. With Ezra and Zett leading the charge, not even the troopers could rely on their blast-proof barricades for proper defense for long. Sabine, Zeb, Dodonna, and the rest of the liberated prisoners provided cover fire, as well as taking aim at the autoturrets overhead. Perhaps knowing more action would be required, or maybe just anticipating facing this revolt personally, Commandant Nefrancis had taken his leave from the main control room to return to his private quarters. He donned the chest armor and helmet of an Imperial field commander, similar to the armor worn by Agent Kallus. Delicately, he picked up a sheathed vibroblade of ancient design from atop his dresser. It would be his weapon of choice, with a lone blaster pistol for a sidearm holstered on his right hip alongside his utility belt. The raid on Ovoo IV was about to reach its culmination.

* * *

Across the Galaxy back on Nar Shaddaa, Hera and Kanan both returned to the _Ghost_ on their way back from meeting with the local supplier. As they boarded, the sight of carbon scoring on the walls, and the scent of blast fumes alerted them both to the fact that there had been a firefight on the starship in their absence. Without even needing to confer with one another, the rogue Twi'lek pilot and the blind Human Jedi Knight raced for the main hold. Hera felt her eyes go wide at the sight that greeted them.

One by one, the bodies of the resistance fighters from Ord Mantell were strewn across the room, a couple against the couch with another draped over the dejarik table. Kanan was the first to sense the lone survivor in the group.

"Kavir!"

The Human in question was slumped against the aft wall on the floor, his trembling cybernetic right hand gripping a blaster while his organic left hand clutched a fresh wound on his midsection. It was clear he'd sustained at least a couple shots to the stomach, any by the way blood ran down the side of his face, it was clear he'd been fighting up close with whoever had attacked the vessel.

"Kanan… Captain Syndulla… I'm sorry… we couldn't stop 'em," the injured man groaned out weakly. Hera was at his side in a moment to check his status.

"You've been shot and banged up pretty bad, but none of your wounds look fatal. Is anyone else…?" she trailed off hesitantly. Kavir shook his head with a pained expression on his face.

"He killed them… all of them… we couldn't stop 'em! We failed ya my friends… I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't talk like that. At least the ship's still here, and none of the supplies are missing," Hera tried assuring the wounded man in front of her, but from over her shoulder behind her, Kanan felt uneasy at his words.

"Wait, who is _he_? Who did this and what were they after?"

"I dunno why he was here, and it all happened so fast. Now, I may be a simple farmer's son, but I know Mandalorian armor when I see it! He was a Mandalorian with a jetpack, green and red painted armor! Know anyone like that who has it in for you Rebels?" Kavir maintained a confused and regretful expression as the looks on the faces of his benefactors told him all he needed to know for an answer. Hera spoke again, first.

"Maybe we can ask Sabine if it sounds like someone she might be more familiar with. It's a longshot but other than security footage, it may be all we have to go on."

"Did you see him take anything from the ship? Any clue as to what he might have been here for?" Kanan inquired further. Kavir shook his head reflexively, even though such a gesture was wasted on a blind man, before replying.

"Nuh-uh, didn't see much of anything once I was down. Just heard him finishing the rest of the boys off, and walking calmly away…" both Hera and Kanan could sense the feelings of haunting terror in the words of their wounded ally.

"Well, first thing's first; we're getting you to a medical center before we head back to the base. Hopefully we can unravel more of this mess later, maybe search the ship for anything that might be missing on the way back," Hera suggested, and both Kanan and Kavir nodded in agreement.

None of the three had known about the dark holocron that had been stored away in the cabin shared by Ezra and Zeb, and so none of them knew that is was the object in question that was now missing. Boba Fett had absconded with the ancient artifact, and was already on his way to the rendezvous point to deliver it to his employers. Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist would be pleased.

 **A/N: For those of you who may not remember or may not be aware, Zett Jukassa was the young Human Padawan who was killed by 501st troopers** **in Revenge of the Sith in front of Senator Bail Organa, who, horrified at uncovering the truth behind Order 66, sped off to help any surviving Jedi he could find. While his screen time may have been relatively short, I always felt that was a pretty significant scene and display of ability from a young Jedi, as the boy did succeed in killing a few of the elite clone troopers before being neutralized himself.** **So, I am resurrecting him for my plot in this story.**

 **To continue, and once again, I greatly appreciate all the response I've been getting from you folks thus far. As always, hearing back from my readers means the most to me. :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Darkness in Hearts

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: Time for the latest installment of my continuing trilogy. Last week was a busy one, and I apologize for the delay in releasing this chapter. However, it is the longest one for this story, yet. Considerable time and effort went into it, beyond normal standards. Enjoy!**

Chapter 6: Darkness in Hearts

On the upper levels of the central security tower of the prison facility on Ovoo IV, a crew of mechanics were finishing up their task of running a flight check for and refueling the personal shuttle of the warden, the only starship docked in the prison that was fitted with a hyperdrive. It was just as Dodonna had predicted; the Imperials were intending to move the vessel from the reach of the Rebels and their allies in order to prevent any chance of escape. A squad of troopers along with a uniformed pilot were also on standby, prepped to defend the hangar bay and fly the shuttle to safety respectively.

An explosion through the doorway that led to the hallway outside alerted these personnel within the hangar that the time for preparations was up. Dodonna, Zeb, Chopper, and the escaped prisoners, minus Zett, stormed in with their rifles blazing. The squad immediately opened fire, and even the mechanics drew defensive blaster pistols to aid their more combat-ready comrades. The only personnel not moving to block the path to the intruders to the shuttle was a lone mechanic who quickly moved to shut off the flow of fuel into the vessel and remove the hose while the pilot quickly ran up the boarding ramp to get situated to take off. The hum of the engines just moments later alerted Dodonna and the others to the realization that if they were going to take the ship, it would have to be now. His team were pinned behind makeshift cover in the form of storage crates just a short distance from the doorway behind them.

"Disperse the defenders, now!" the aging veteran ordered his followers. One of them, a male Chagrian, nodded, pulling out a thermal detonator retrieved from a stolen utility belt. Lobbing it over the crates not a second later, the squad of troopers and the mechanics quickly moved to avoid the oncoming explosion.

"Hit the deck!" the sergeant ordered, the ensuing blast not killing him or the other Imperials, but the chaos was enough of a diversion for Dodonna to charge at the shuttle as it began lifting off, its boarding ramp slowly retracting.

The pilot began firing the forward guns, but the smoke from the grenade blast made spotting targets difficult. However, a single hit would be all it took to kill the general instantly. Knowing this, Chopper ignited his engine and took off through the air to catch up to Dodonna while the prisoners provided cover fire as the squad began getting back up. Latching onto the flying atstromech, the veteran military officer allowed the droid to guide him the rest of the way at high speed and into the shuttle just before the ramp sealed behind them. Seeing that he had been boarded despite his efforts, the pilot immediately brought the shuttle around and blasted out of the hangar bay at full throttle. He would sooner fly the shuttle out and crash it before allowing it to be captured by the enemy.

Jerking the throttle back and forth, the pilot moved to keep Dodonna and Chopper off-balance and away from where he sat in the cockpit. Locking himself down on the floor magnetically, the astromech provided the veteran general a point of stability with his own chasis. Utilizing this base to gain his bearings, Dodonna propelled himself into the cockpit at first opportunity just as the pilot began to put the shuttle in a dive for the surface below. Sensing the arrival of his foe behind him, the pilot moved to draw his blaster, but it was too late. A single head-shot from Dodonna finished him, and the latter quickly grabbed the controls and pulled the plummeting starship up at the last possible nanosecond before it was too late. Catching his breath, he gave a deep sigh of relief while Chopper rolled in and moved the body from the chair behind him.

"That was too close," Dodonna huffed out as he fell back into the seat. He promptly began steering the shuttle back to the hangar bay while Chopper acknowledged him.

* * *

Meanwhile as all this had been taking place, the sealed doors to the lone hallway that led to the main control room were blown open, courtesy of a charge set by the teenage Mandalorian. Immediately, the heavily-armored troopers of the ESRTF moved their large, rectangular shields in front of them with their left arms, and lowered their force pikes with their right arms. A defensive barricade of shields and spears was awaiting Ezra, Sabine, and Zett as they cleared the smoke in the doorway, the latter armed with a stun baton stolen from an officer in the lower levels of the tower.

"Well, this is definitely new," Sabine commented at the sight before them. With his lightsaber raised in both hands, Ezra stepped forward with his teammates right behind him.

"You will go no further than this, rebel scum! Lay down your weapons and submit, or die," Captain Sentarion called out to the three facing his unit, his tone uncompromising and firm.

"You just make yourselves all the easier to take care of by standing in neat rows like that," Ezra replied in a grim tone as his eyes narrowed. Both Sabine and Zett eyed him warily.

"Then try your luck, Jedi. Men, advance!"

"You're all finished!" the young padawan roared before charging at the formation steadily marching towards him and his allies.

"Brace!" Sentarion ordered to his unit. Ezra's eyes went wide as he found the shields in front of him dispersed the two-handed slash of his lightsaber like it was nothing. The armored officer them countered, "Thrust!"

The forward line took a large step forward, bashing their shields into the Jedi before them, who was forced back as he held off with his blade tightly raised. He had almost no time to react before the line retracted their shields just far and long enough to drive their force pikes forward. Ezra had to leap back with the Force to avoid being impaled with at least three of the high-tech spears at stabbed at the air he'd been standing in just a blink of an eye earlier. The formation was back in order just as before, shields and spears lowered and ready for another attack. Ezra growled in frustration at having been repelled so easily.

"What the hell is this?!" the young padawan snarled.

"Ezra! Their shields must be made of a lightsaber-resistant metal. Trust me, my people once made heavy use of such materials," Sabine explained to her slightly younger teammate as she stepped over to his side, both blasters cautiously raised at the formation.

"Hey, Mandalorian, you got any more detonators on you?" Zett inquired softly as he too moved over to them.

"No, I used up my grenades just making it this far. I got one charge left, but we'll need that to blow the doors to the control room open," Sabine elaborated further.

"Let's see how these guys hold up against the power of the Force!" Ezra said decidedly, and Zett nodded in agreement. The two of them thrust their free hands outwards in a move to Force push the formation out of their way. The exact second they moved to do so, Sentarion relayed his new instructions to his own allies.

"Men, lock down!"

Utilizing control devices built into their left gauntlets, the heavily-armored troopers activated electromagnetic projectors built into the soles of their boots, firmly keeping them in place on the metal floor beneath them even through the surging Force energy that engulfed them not a moment later.

"Oh for kriff's sake!" Sabine cursed in her native language at the display before her and her team.

"We don't have time for this!" giving into his mounting anger, Ezra charged at the formation a second time.

"Ezra, wait!" the teenage Mandalorian called out, to no avail.

Once again, Ezra couldn't break through the wall of shields blocking his path, but this time in his move to dodge a pike coming at his chest left him open to being bashed upside the head with a shield. The blow nearly knocked him unconscious as he fell back onto the floor with a startled shout, his weapon knocked from his grip as he did so.

"Advance!"

At the word of their commanding officer, the formation surged forward, the forward line moving to stab the stunned Jedi at their feet. Sabine frantically pulled the triggers on her blasters as she began running forward, but knowing at this point that she would only go down, too, Zett retrieved Ezra's lightsaber through the Force and reignited it. With the focus of the forward line split between both Ezra and Sabine, Zett seized his chance and utilized any fingers he could spare to effect another Force push, this time dispersing some of the heavily-armored troopers in front of them. Sabine quickly shot at the troopers as they fell back, their shields no longer raised to protect them. She was surprised to find even direct hits weren't enough to kill them, however. Truly, their gear was made of sterner stuff.

"Mid and rear lines, reinforce!"

Leaping through the air while the able troopers quickly reorganized, Zett overshot them and landed on the other side. The back line in the formation abruptly turned and drove their pikes at him, the older and former padawan dodging one just barely as it cut through the hair that waved over his forehead. Blocking another incoming pike with the commandeered lightsaber, he jabbed at the attacking trooper with his stun baton, set on high. It was a direct hit. As the trooper fell back onto the floor, Zett dodged two more pikes before lunging forward and into the breach in the formation he'd created. Regaining his wits, Ezra used both hands to send a wave of Force energy into the forward line as they closed in on Sabine. The teenage Mandalorian slammed her boot down onto the troopers that fell to add to their stunned state. Quickly, the formation was coming undone. However, even with their lines broken, the individual troopers still significantly outnumbered their attackers and had their shields and high-quality armor to keep them from any serious harm. The fight wasn't over just yet.

Ezra caught sight of Zett as the latter threw his lightsaber back to him. The older Human male retrieved a force pike from the floor to use in its place. Ezra used the Force to slam individual troopers into the walls around him as he charged at the captain, who wasted no time meeting the young padawan head-on with a thrust of his own force pike. Another trooper tried to assist, but a spin-kick from Sabine to his helmet quickly knocked him down to the floor.

Now face to face and locked in combat with the captain, Ezra attempted another Force push with his free hand, but the former quickly moved to dodge it, raising his shield to block the lightsaber that came down at him. Another thrust of his pike was blocked, so he moved to hit the young Jedi with his shield instead. It worked, but this time the blow wasn't enough to force Ezra down. It merely made him angrier, his glare tightening as he spat out some blood. He would definitely have bruises later.

This time, as the pike came his way, he leapt into the air and landed on the shaft with one foot. Before Sentarion had a chance to react, the young padawan flipped in mid-air and vertically spin-kicked the captain in the helmet. The latter was left exposed by the stunning blow long enough for Ezra to throw his lightsaber into his midsection, and the formidable armor worn by these troopers was not resistant to lightsabers like the shields. Sentarion gasped in pain, but refused to relent. He let go of his pike to reach for the hilt of the saber, but a boot to his chest stopped him. Ezra grabbed hold of his blade first, his shows showing an unnerving intent to kill. Sabine didn't miss this, and called out to the one she was still struggling to hide her feelings for.

"No, Ezra! Don't do it! It's not you!"

Hearing her call his name, his expression immediately softened. He looked over to the teenage Mandalorian whom he cared for deeply, and even though the visor on her helmet covered her eyes, he could sense her concern for him. Reconstituting himself, Ezra looked back to the wounded captain at his feet. He pulled his blade out, but merely kicked the man's pike and shield away rather than killing him. At this point, the rest of the heavily-armored troopers were down, even if not actually dead.

"You'll stay down if you know what's good for you," Ezra warned the captain, who merely chuckled as he winced in clear pain from under his own helmet.

"Fools, you've already lost!"

At that moment, two full additional companies of troopers had arrived on the upper levels of the central security tower, reinforcements for the defenders. One made for the hangar bay, and the other for the corridor to the main control room. Hearing the ominous sound of many footsteps rushing towards them from the way they came, both Sabine and Zett quickly moved to intercept the new arrivals. Ezra started to join them, but the aforementioned Mandalorian pulled out and tossed him the explosive charge.

"Blow open those doors and deactivate the shield ring! Hurry!"

"I'm on it!" Ezra replied quickly in affirmation, and then he was off.

* * *

It was only about a minute later that the doors to the central control room were breached, blown apart from the outside. The technicians had evacuated minutes prior, and Ezra stood face to face with his lone adversary, Commandant Nefrancis. The young padawan stepped further into the room, raising his lightsaber as he did so. The middle-aged, veteran officer made no move to draw either of his own weapons, yet. He simply stared down the Jedi before him, studying the young man in silence.

"If you're trying to analyze a weakness, you'll be disappointed," Ezra narrowed his eyes as he saw the warden merely give a slight chuckle in response. It was condescending, and it wasn't what the young padawan wanted to hear from an opponent.

"You wouldn't be the first Jedi I've killed, child. The Rebellion must truly be desperate if they are relying on runts so little, so young, to lead critical missions against the Empire."

"Stand aside now, and I won't have to kill you," Ezra growled, his irritation growing with every word to slip through his ears.

"Such strong words, such naivety. It suits your kind, little Jedi. Though, perhaps in a way, I do owe you thanks," Nefrancis closely eyed the young padawan, his expression becoming impassive and serious. Ezra's angered expression merely continued to increase in ferocity.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I observed your fight with the ERSTF outside from the monitors in here. Not only have you delivered a traitorous former cadet from Mandalore to me, you revealed one of our inmates was secretly a Jedi. Be advised that I shall take great pleasure in torturing them both before handing them over to the Inquisition," as the warden finished with a narrowed eye, at the suggestion that Sabine and Zett would be made to suffer at the hands of his opponent, Ezra snarled, his rage close to toppling over.

"I won't let you! Do you understand that?!" the orphan from Lothal was incensed. Nefrancis offered his own retort, unfazed.

"You won't have a choice once you're in pieces on the floor," as he spoke as if stating a fact, the veteran officer drew the vibroblade sheathed on his back. The eye opposite of his eyepatch studied the young Jedi closely, preparing for an opening to take. He merely raised his sword as Ezra made the first move and lunged at him, shouting in a state that showed he was absolutely enraged.

Ezra brought his lightsaber down at the warden with both hands, but rather than raise his own blade in defense, the latter simply sidestepped the attack and slammed his foot into the stomach of the young padawan as Ezra turned to face him. The swift blow occurred within the blink of an eye, and the young Jedi stumbled back, reflexively grabbing his gut with his left hand with a startled yelp. He barely had enough time to dodge the swing of sharp metal that came his way in the next instant.

Commandant Nefrancis wasted no time in his counterassault. Another swing of his right foot knocked Ezra's feet out from under him, sending the latter straight down to the floor. His eyes wide with panic, the young padawan quickly rolled out of the way to avoid the blade that wound up slashing against the metal floor, the sharp screech and slight sparks flying out from the point of impact showing it was indeed a rather narrow escape.

With a thrust of his free hand, Ezra attempted to send a blast of Force energy at the warden, who easily moved out of the way to dodge it as he lunged forward. Using the Force again, Ezra leapt to a safe distance just in time to avoid the sword that struck the spot he'd been on the floor just a second prior. He was still crouched down on one knee as he raised his saber just in time with both hands. Commandant Nefrancis brought his sword down on the young padawan with both hands as well, and it was clear that the already wounded Jedi was struggling against the strength and skill of his older opponent. Knowing he had Ezra pinned, and that the young man was winded, the warden reached for his blaster with his left hand, intending to finish this while he had the chance. The sound of twin blasters firing alerted him to a new threat as he leapt back to dodge the bolts heading his way just in time.

"Ezra!" the teenage Mandalorian called out to him, keeping her weapons aimed at the warden.

"Sabine! What happened out there? Where's Zett?!" Ezra replied in a concerned question just as quickly.

"We beat back the reinforcements in the hallway. He went down to help Dodonna and the rest down in the hangar bay. Looks like I made it just in time," Sabine eyed her new foe carefully. It had been a while since she faced an opponent skilled with a vibroblade.

"Something like that, yes," Ezra replied with a light smile. Sabine didn't miss his warm expression despite her focus. Their foe merely scoffed at the new development.

"Two or two thousand, I will not permit anyone to escape this prison alive. You merely march to your deaths, little children!" as he finished, the veteran officer pulled out his blaster with his free hand and began firing, forcing the teenage Mandalorian to immediately dodge and return fire.

Commandant Nefrancis quickly moved to do likewise, as well as avoid another lightsaber slash coming his way. He thrust his right leg upwards and kicked the hilt of the lightsaber right out of the hands of the young padawan, who felt his eyes go wide in surprise. Sabine closed in with her line of fire, moving to back up her teammate at his side. Ezra felt the blade clip his side as he was unsuccessful in dodging it completely again. Sabine suddenly stopped her firing to rush to his defense more quickly, but that left her open as well. Someone with the combat experience of the warden would not hesitate to waste such an opportunity, with both of their enemies openly vulnerable at once. Sabine moved to dodge a barrage of blaster fire that came her way. She kicked the blaster out of Nefrancis' grip, but barely ducked in time to avoid a swing of his sword. He used the blade to slice both of her own blasters out of her hands, and the fact that they remained intact was a testament to sturdy Mandalorian construction. Using both hands, the warden stepped forward to bring the blade down on her, next. The teenage Mandalorian caught his forearms in both her hands, narrowly keeping the sharp sword from striking her. In terms of physical strength, the warden had the advantage, so rather than remain locked like this she attempted to knee him in his stomach. However, he quickly knocked her feet out from under her with another swing of his right foot before she could do so. At this point, the veteran officer did not miss the sight of Ezra getting back up out of the corner of his eye.

Mirroring what her slightly younger teammate had done just minutes prior, Sabine rolled across the floor to avoid being struck with the blade. She was now within reach of one of her blasters, and Ezra had just recalled and reignited his lightsaber. Seeing that he was losing his advantage, Commandant Nefrancis pressed a button on a metal control box clasped to his utility belt. In the next instant, two autoturrets came down from concealment hatches in the ceiling above, immediately taking aim at one Rebel each with their twin barrels.

"Gasp for your final breath, children!"

Ezra was able to successfully block the incoming blaster bolts with his lightsaber raised in both hands, but his eyes widened in horror as he saw Sabine take a direct hit on her torso. She had only gotten off a single shot, her reflexes just barely surpassed by the high-quality calibration of the automatic turrets. He only faintly heard the young padawan call out to her through the impact that sent her flying backwards and onto the floor, hard.

"Sabine! NO!"

As the turret that had just scored a direct hit on the girl he cared for rotated around to join in the attack on him, feelings of both dread and panic quickly morphed into anger and rage. Ezra's face quickly contorted to match the sudden, violent transition. Their enemy _would_ _pay_ for this. Any consequences could be _damned_.

Glaring at the warden through one of the most intense expressions he ever had plastered on his face, the young padawan reached out with his free hand and seized his opponent through the Force. Before Nefrancis could even try to react, he was hurled to his right and straight into one of the rows of computer consoles, crashing through both a chair and a desk monitor. All the while, the enraged orphan from Lothal deflected a pair of blaster bolts back into one turret, disabling it, and blocked the incoming shots from the other turret before reaching out with the Force again, seizing it in his grip and literally tearing out from the ceiling above. The warden had gotten back up with his vibroblade in hand, but was quickly sent flying again as the airborne autoturret was thrown into him at high speed. The older, middle-aged man gasped in the sudden shock of the blow as he was violently hurled onto the ground by the impact, the disabled turret breaking over his torso as he did so. He could feel his ribs cracking at the sheer magnitude of the attack. Despite the swiftness and ferocity of the blows dealt to him, Nefrancis maintained his grip on the hilt of his blade with his right hand. However, he was unable to stop himself from coughing up blood.

Ezra surged forth in a full blown charge empowered by the Force, his movements a simple and brief blur to the naked eye. The warden had only begun to stand back up when the green energy blade of a lightsaber hacked clean through both of his arms, severing them just above the elbows. Pure adrenaline coursed through both combatants, the veteran officer barely registering the loss of his arms as Ezra reared back to drive his lightsaber forward. In a last ditch means of keeping up the fight, the warden managed to catch the hilt of his own blade with his teeth, and rammed it forward while keeping it angled out as best he could. It was only when the two adversaries had successfully impaled each other did the true scope of their intense clash become clear, to the both of them.

The young padawan felt his eyes bulging in his skull as the rush of blind energy ebbed away, the sensation of cold steel puncturing his chest now impossible to ignore. The warden was in a similar situation, albeit it was a lightsaber through his chest and he was now without both of his arms. With pained gasps leaving them, the two opponents finally separated. Ezra stumbled back, pulling out his lightsaber in the process. He was able to remain on his feet, while Warden Nefrancis slumped down onto the floor, coming to a stop on his back. With blood running down from the corners of his mouth as he struggled to breathe with broken and punctured lungs, the middle-aged man understood that his injuries were fatal. He stared up at the ceiling as he silently mused over the situation to himself, while Ezra finally deactivated his lightsaber and moved to pull the vibroblade from his chest, which had narrowly missed his left lung and heart. He grimaced to himself and grunted in a sharp twinge of pain, extracting the blade from his torso and tossing it away. Looking up to his dying foe, he slowly walked over to him, his expression showing no remorse or regret. Tilting his head up slightly, the warden could decipher what the young padawan was thinking. After all, he'd held that same expression in victory often enough before.

"You left me no choice," Ezra regarded in a cold, merciless tone. Warden Nefrancis gave a weak chuckle as he laid his head back down, his eye returning to his empty focus on the ceiling as he let his thoughts take him.

"Perhaps you are right, not that it matters now… to think after all these years, done in by a punk like you…" as the dying man at his feet trailed off, Ezra couldn't help but feel surprised at the lack of displeasure or discontent in the voice of his enemy.

"How can you be so calm knowing you're going to die?" for but a split second, the young padawan seemed to let go of his anger. Only for that brief interval, nonetheless.

"It is because I die with no regrets. I have no unfinished business, no second guessing left to mull over. Can you say the same?" the warden only needed a second glance at the face of his victorious opponent to have to answer, "I see. You may want to work on that."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ezra gave a retort sharply, as well as stubbornly. Commandant Nefrancis let out one final, weak chuckle before closing his eyes slowly.

"You can tell yourself that all you want, but you can't stop it…"

"Stop what?"

The young padawan eyed his opponent at his feet closely, but quickly realized he wouldn't be getting an answer; the man was now dead, his face an expression of pure contentment, a stark contrast to his own. Growling in irritation at the sight, and after grabbing hold of his bleeding injury, Ezra began limping over to Sabine, who groaned as she finally began to collect herself through her own wounds. It was fortunate for the both of them that, this time around, the latter had placed a small but compact medpac on her utility belt.

* * *

It was only a few minutes later that, after patching one another up as best they could, the young padawan and the teenage Mandalorian arrived in the hangar bay just a couple levels down from the main control room. The sight that greeted them was a chaotic one. The ESRTF had reassembled in their absence, and was literally spearheading the Imperial counterassault on the would-be escapees. Captain Sentarion, as well as both his unit and all other squads able to respond, had made serious headway. Even with the shuttle landed and its forward guns being utilized by Chopper, the tide was quickly turning against the Rebels and their allies. Having been forcibly relieved of the force pike he stole, Zett was instead making use of a blaster rifle taken from a fallen trooper, same as the other prisoners. Zett was atop the ramp along with Dodonna, the two of them providing support from their respective perches. However, both Ezra and Sabine saw that the odds were becoming insurmountable. Both teens drew and prepped their weapons once again before moving in.

"This is it! Cut them down!" Sentarion shouted. Evidently, his own injury had received a temporary patch job. Were it not for the hole that had been burned through his torso armor with a lightsaber, it would be difficult to tell he'd ever been struck with such a weapon just minutes prior. Using both pike and shield, he led his troopers in stabbing, bashing, and shooting their way through the prisoners hunkered down behind crates one by one. One of the portable, blast-proof barricades had been set up where the troopers with rifles stayed behind for cover. By the time that both Ezra and Sabine had fought their way around the Imperial lines from behind, only three prisoners, among them Zett and Dodonna, remained.

The young padawan did his best to shield his allies with his lightsaber while the teenage Mandalorian provided cover fire with her blasters. The elderly, veteran general called out to his younger allies as he did his part with his stolen blaster from up on the lowered boarding ramp.

"Get on board, now! We need to get out now or we're not going to!" the onslaught of their enemies merely emphasized his point, as one of the heavily-armored troopers ran the male Chagrian prisoner through the chest with his force pike while the latter had attempted to hunker down and reload his rifle. His agonized cry was silenced as a shield to the face ejected him off the pike and away.

"Do not let them escape!" Sentarion ordered in a frenzy.

At that moment, Chopper had to redirect the forward guns to fire at two units of troopers with dual missile launchers barreling into the hangar bay through the doorway. Quickly finding cover behind the blast-proof barricade, they began loading the heavy weapons. Direct hits would disable the shuttle completely.

"Come on! We need to move!" Dodonna hurried his younger allies as they backed up to the boarding ramp. The general himself ceased firing his rifle to quickly run back up and into the shuttle. Someone would need to pilot them out fast. Zeb backed further into the shuttle while covering the others with his bow-rifle.

As the three ran up the ramp and into the starship, the engines hummed to life once again. Sentarion moved in as close as he could and threw his force pike like a javelin. A sharp, excruciating yell alerted both Ezra and Sabine as they entered the shuttle. Their eyes went wide as they looked back to see that half way up the ramp, Zett had been skewered from behind.

"No!" Sabine gave an immediate, panicked shout.

"Zett!" Ezra echoed her sentiment. He rushed back over to the top of the ramp, but it was too late. The older, former padawan had fallen to his knees and toppled over the edge of the ramp.

"Karabast! Damn it all!" Zeb cursed in desperation, having caught sight of what happened. Hearing their voices from his seat in the pilot's chair, Dodonna deduced what had happened. He continued to guide the vessel out with a heavy heart.

At that moment, the ramp began to retract, as did the landing gear as the starship slowly lifted off. Once the forward guns were in range over the barricade, Chopper fired them again at full blast. The units with the missile launchers were forced to leap for cover, and by the time one of them with a single launcher got back up and locked on target, he could only pull the trigger a moment too late. The missile only hit the shimmering force field behind the shuttle as the aft end passed through it. Sabotage partaken by both Ezra and Sabine in the main control room had disabled the projection ring and cut power to the anti-air batteries scattered throughout the complex. Dodonna only possessed basic piloting skills, and allowed Sabine to take over. However, Ezra was, at first, adamant that they had to turn back.

"We can't leave Zett back there! We wouldn't have made it this far without him!"

"Ezra… even if he's still alive…" the teenage Mandalorian started, only to be quickly cut off. The expression on the face of her slightly younger teammate was intense.

"He _is_ alive! Bring us back around right now, Sabine!"

"No!" Dodonna cut in sternly, his own expression a mix of harsh and desperate, his tone one of absolute authority, "I remember a creed from the days of the Old Republic, 'The life of a Jedi is sacrifice'. Zett took point because he knew the risks were great, and someone of his ability would have to step up. If we go back right now, we'll be cut to pieces before we can even touch down in the hangar. We would dishonor his sacrifice by throwing our lives away like that," as the older general finished, Ezra felt the Lasat warrior place a large hand on his shoulder. He looked over to Zeb as the latter spoke up in a more sympathetic, even if gruff, voice. By this point, the shuttle was passing through the disabled projection ring through the energy shield.

"I know it's not easy, but he's right, kid. The best thing we can do now is finish the mission, it's what that Jedi would have wanted."

Ezra begrudgingly nodded and took his seat in the co-pilot's chair. His face remained a mixture of both grief and anger, and even as Sabine began to enter the hyperspace coordinates, she didn't miss this out of the corner of her eye. She sighed sadly, unsure of what to think or say, if anything at all.

* * *

As this all had been taking place, across the Galaxy as his own shuttle left the outer orbit of Korriban, Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist meditated in a secluded chamber in the back of the starship. He could faintly sense a Dark Side presence not among his group from across the stars.

 **A/N: Both the following Chapters, 7 and 8, are already in progress, and both will be out on the normal weekly basis as of right now. Again, I apologize for this unexpected delay, but hopefully the extended length of this chapter makes up for that. I've begun formulating the remaining chapters, including the climax which shall be titled,** **The Shadow of Revan** **.**

 **Now, thanks again to each and every one of you who has favored, is following, and had reviewed this story. Each and every one of my readers is not without my sincerest appreciation. Your support makes me beyond inspired, driven I would say at this point. Once again, I wish you all the best. :)**

 **Update: Unforseen events have thrown a wrench into my usual schedule this week, and so, while progress is still ongoing with the next two chapters, I regret to inform you folks that their release dates have been pushed back. I have decided to finish and release the both of them at once as another 2-part special, to debut sometime next week. I thank all of you in advance for your patience, and I assure you, the wait will certainly be worth it. My intention is to provide you quality over quantity.**


	7. Chapter 7: A Return and a Rendezvous

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: Once again, my sincerest apologies for the unexpected delay in finishing this chapter, but to make it up to all of you, as I said, I have decided to make this another 2-part special, with Chapter 8 immediately posted after this one. Consider this one a brief interlude to bridge over to the beginning of the climax. So now, enjoy!**

Chapter 7: A Return and a Rendezvous

A few days had passed. Not far from the industrial and political worlds of Fondor and Coruscant, the mysterious and restricted forest planet of Tython was well into the second half of its daily planetary rotation, early afternoon in the western hemisphere. Officially dubbed as a nature preserve and sanctuary by Imperial law, the ancient founding world of the Jedi Order was a secluded location amid the more usual hustle and bustle of the Core Worlds. It was in the aforementioned western hemisphere that held the destination of three starships scheduled to meet up after multiple days of traveling to reach the system. These ships included two standard tri-winged Imperial shuttles, and the infamous prototype enforcer vessel named _Slave I_. The pilot droids from both shuttles had disembarked to run exterior checks on their respective crafts.

The pre-chosen destination of the three vessels were the ruins of Kaleth, one of the nine temple cities constructed in the era before the formation of the Old Republic by the Je'daii, an ancient group of Force wielders who would eventually reorganize into the Jedi. It was no coincidence that the Grand Inquisitor had chosen this setting as the rendezvous point; Kaleth was also known to the ancient Jedi as the Temple of Knowledge. Secrets of the Force, be they Light or Dark, or even beyond, are never too far out of reach from an inquisitive mind. Surrounded by crumbling walls and columns all around them, the three starships landed adjacent to one another in a semi-circle. The Inquisitors, the ancient assassin droid, and the veteran Mandalorian bounty hunter all met up amidst their respective starships. For the Inquisitors, it was unmistakable even before disembarking that the latter had been successful; the power of the holocron he carried with him radiated in all directions much like the one carried by their leader.

"I got your poison, Grand Inquisitor. Now, how about those credits you promised?" Boba Fett displayed the Holocron of Darth Traya aloft in his left hand, his right hand clasping his blaster rifle at his side.

"I'm a man of my word, son of Mandalore. The remaining credits in your payment are yours," Nachtgeist nodded to HK as the latter, blaster carbine strapped to his back, carried a metal case filled with the Imperial currency over and out from their shuttle. Fett took the case after handing the prize in question to his employer. The other Inquisitors watched their leader while he studied the ancient device analytically, "At last, the final pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Operation: Infinite Horizon just took a huge step closer to fruition. You have my thanks, mercenary."

"Your thanks are welcome, your money even more so. If our business is concluded, I'll take my leave. I'm a busy man, after all," the Mandalorian stated, and the Grand Inquisitor shifted his focus back to the former to give his reply.

"Of course, my associates and I have things here well in hand."

"Next time you got a job that needs a professional, you know how to reach me," and with that, Boba Fett returned to _Slave I_ and departed the planet not long after sealing the doors behind him. Nachtgeist turned back to his cohorts, handing the holocron to HK for the droid to carry and stow away on board his shuttle in the process.

"All right, all of you know what comes next," the menacing Dark Side master observed the others as they heeded his words. Jerec and Garnac grinned sadistically while Starkiller and Barris both nodded.

"Complete systemic purge of the Morgukai warriors holding the temple just a few clicks southeast of here," Starkiller affirmed aloud.

"Such is the fate of all who trespass and steal in direct violation of the will of the Emperor. Remember, the relic their chieftain holds must be recaptured intact. Should any of you allow it to be destroyed, either by their actions or your own, you may as well kill yourselves on the spot. Should you manage to survive my retaliation, the Emperor himself will more than likely finish off whatever may be left of you, slowly and excruciatingly." the Grand Inquisitor narrowed his eyes as his tone became equally deadly serious and dark. Failure was not an option, now more than ever.

"Statement: Do not think I won't be hesitant in tearing out your entrails at the word of my master, either," the ancient assassin droid added as he rejoined the group while heading back down the boarding ramp.

"Duly noted. Shall we get this started, then?" Jerec suggested dryly while Garnac was struggling to keep his composure, his snake-like tongue running over his bottom lip. The prospect of copious amounts of slaughter against warriors as formidable as the Morgukai was almost too much to handle.

* * *

Meanwhile, across the Galaxy on the Outer Rim planet of Saleucami, both Hera and Kanan had disembarked and left the _Ghost_ locked down under Kavir's watch while they had gone into town at the spaceport of Altiocus. Apparently, word had reached the Rebel base in their absence that a local information broker was interested in doing business with their cause out of a hideout in the port city, and as Saleucami is less than a standard day of hyperspace travel on the way back to Atollon from the Y'toub system where Nar Shaddaa resides, it was worth making a slight detour in the voyage back home.

The telltale sounds of a mutual exchange of blaster fire alerted the rogue Twi'lek pilot and the blind Human Jedi Knight as they neared the hangar where they'd left the _Ghost_.

"Come on!" Hera hurriedly told her longtime companion as she took off in the direction of the fighting, drawing her holdout blaster as she did so. Reflexively without even glancing in the direction of where it was clasped on his belt, Kanan drew his lightsaber in his right hand, though he didn't ignite it. Seeing as how he was uncertain of his way without her, Hera reached back to grab his free hand with her own.

"That's either good, or bad…" Kanan mused aloud once the sounds of shooting stopped.

Finally rounding the corner to the entrance of the hangar, the duo immediately had their answer as three wounded alien criminals, a male Twi'lek, a male Devaronian, and a female Rodian, hurriedly took off in the opposite direction, all of them grabbing their injuries and stumbling as they went. Hera couldn't contain her smirk as she saw Kavir holding a blaster in his cybernetic right arm with the barrel still smoking. He held a cheesy grin as he saluted her respectfully with his organic left arm. Evidently, he had just fought off a would-be band of thieves.

"No need to worry, dear, it's definitely good," Hera told the Jedi just behind her in an assured and bemused tone.

* * *

Less than a full sector away also in the Outer Rim, at the Rebel base on Atollon, the stolen Imperial shuttle from Ovoo IV had touched down just a few minutes prior. While Dodonna was escorted to the command room to meet with Sato, both Ezra and Sabine were ordered to the medical center for examination and further treatment, though the injuries of the young Padawan were more severe than those of the teenage Mandalorian.

"Har'chaak, I'm telling you my armor took the brunt of the damage. I'm fine, so please, keep your attention on my teammate," Sabine encouraged the medical droid checking her vitals to shift his focus to Ezra, who lay back on the bed parallel to her own. It was the same droid who had treated Ezra on the _Liberator_ before the mission to Ord Mantell several months prior.

"Apologies, young female organic, but my programming dictates I finish my analysis of all patients under my care within allocated time parameters. If it is assurance you require from me, you may note that your friend won't be dying today, he's completely stabilized."

"I won't be dying _today_. Gee, thanks, droid," Ezra griped sarcastically.

"My function is to see to your recovery right now, young male organic. I have no control over what you do to hurt yourself once you leave this facility," the droid further clarified as though stating a fact. Technically, he actually was. The young Padawan groaned in annoyance, and Sabine smiled lightly at the sight while shaking her head softly, musing to herself. It was good to be back, _home_. For now, their battle was over.

* * *

There was no such calm to be found within the interior of the ancient Jedi temple on Tython. Constructed in the aftermath of the First Galactic War over three and half millennia prior, and abandoned in the waning years of the Old Republic on the eve of the Clone Wars, it had been a very long time since the sacred halls had seen a clash between opposing Force users. Such ferocity and brutal efficiency guided the hands of both sides, the bladed cortosis staves of the Morgukai brought to bear against the lightsabers of the Imperial Inquisition.

"Yes! Yes! Do not relent! Keep charging at me! It makes the blood pump faster! It spills more quickly!" the twisted ravings provided by Garnac echoed to the ears of his cohorts within earshot as he carved and hacked his way through one Morgukai after the next. Indeed, anyone unfamiliar with his mannerisms would likely have been unnerved at his raw lust for carnage. After impaling one warrior with one of his blades, he did not hesitate to use his free left hand to tear the helpless Nikto's throat open and pull out his larynx with his bare claws. The garbled cries of his victim were drowned out by his demented, haunting cackling. It was muffled mere moments later when he brought his bloodied claw to his face, allowing his snake-like tongue to slurp up the blood he'd collected.

"Such disappointing futility," Jerec spat haughtily a short distance away as he bisected a warrior he'd just disarmed. His expression was not nearly as crazed, but it was a satisfied grin nonetheless. Clearly, he too was enjoying himself.

Displaying his own prowess deeper inside the temple, Starkiller used the Force to slam one warrior into the stone wall behind him with such magnitude cracks splintered under and around the man's back. Another warrior found he couldn't keep up with the unrelenting onslaught of twin lightsaber blades, which left no quarter whatsoever. His face was emotionless and stoic beneath his helmet.

And indeed, no such euphoria was upon the face of the Grand Inquisitor, either. His eyes remained narrowed and merciless as the peered above his half-mask. He was only utilizing his custom-built lightsaber, using his own free left hand to elevate a Morgukai off the ground telekinetically through the Force, sending thousands of electrical volts into the screaming man at the same time. His crimson eyes reflected the vicious spectacle before him, as well as his sheer focus and resolve. Quickly, this battle was turning into more of a massacre, one that was far from over. When the dust finally settled, it would be only one side that walked away from this swift and brutal slaughter.

 **A/N: Continued immediately in Chapter 8!**


	8. Chapter 8: Stepping Stones

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: The Part 2 of the surprise 2-part special as aforementioned. The next chapter will be the official lead in to the climax. Please, enjoy!**

 **Warning: This chapter contains heavy depictions of violence through combat and torture as well as character death. Please be advised if you are sensitive to such content.**

Chapter 8: Stepping Stones

The sounds of battle echoed within the halls of the ancient Jedi temple on Tython. The grand atrium in the middle sat desolate, the double, spiral ramp way illuminated by the skylights above. It was in the surrounding recesses of the upper levels that the fighting was winding down not long after it had begun. The Morgukai, for all their reputation and training, found they were little contest for the Imperial Inquisition. The plume of smoke that billowed from the complex was suddenly amplified as a loud explosion blew a hole out of the western wall in the main cupola. Through the thick cloud of the substance, one Morgukai warrior tumbled out of the breach and down to the pavement in the courtyard below, completely engulfed in flames and screaming in the sheer agony that was his death. His comrade fell out behind him, not burning alive. So it was that the latter had the focus to grab onto the ledge with his left hand, while reaching into the interior with his bladed cortosis staff. His eyes went wide in horror as an orange, mechanical arm grabbed hold of the shaft in a vice-like grip. The glowing photoreceptors of HK-47 peered straight through him as if seeing his very, terrified soul.

"Mocking inquiry: Shall I let you fall to your splattering demise, or sent a blaster bolt through your squishy cognitive unit, meatbag?" as he taunted his victim, HK raised a blaster pistol to the man's head with his free hand.

"Y-you rusted piece of trash! Don't think for a second I'll beg for my life!" the Nikto warrior retorted, his fury taking precedence over his desperation. However, his tormentor was unfazed.

"Statement: Understood, have it your way," a brutal, blunt strike on the top of the Morgukai's cranium with the barrel of the pistol caused him to lose his grip, and he too fell to his demise on the pavement below. His futile scream was silenced upon impact. HK had recorded the whole ordeal for personal recollection and entertainment later, "Addendum: I do love it when they let me choose the method for them!"

Further within the interior of the temple, the fighting was no less vicious and decisive. Barris had succeeded in cutting down two warriors who'd attempted to flank her, while holding another aloft in a Force choke with her free hand. Without a second thought or even another glance in his direction as she calmly walked away, she snapped his neck and let him fall to the floor with a loud thud.

On the level above, inside the hall that housed the decommissioned archives of the abandoned temple, Grand Inquisitor Dunkel Nachtgeist had been squaring off one on one with the Morgukai chieftain, a veteran warrior with years of training and experience named Kur'tok. It was fortunate the databook shelves had been cleared out and shut down when the temple was abandoned decades prior, because the ferocity of their duel had broken through and even destroyed a number of them. Even while contending with the best this clan had to offer, the menacing Evocii felt no need to utilize his second lightsaber, still able to counter ever attack sent his way by the chieftain. Employing a combination that switched back and forth between Niman and Makashi styles, Nachtgeist was quickly and steadily gaining the upper hand. Attempting to use the Force to gain the advantage, Kur'tok used his free hand to attempt a push of the unseen energy. The Dark Side master immediately met the attack by employing the same with his own free hand, both converging Force energies holding the other off until Nachtgeist applied more power to his, and the resulting blast sent the chieftain flying back into the stone wall with such intensity he nearly hurdled uncontrollably right through it. He fell face first onto the cold floor beneath them, and before he could collect his wits, the Grand Inquisitor kicked him over onto his back. Disengaging and sheathing his lightsaber, Nachtgeist instead pulled a periscopic, short metal pike from inside his robes, fully extending it as he thrust his arm outward and down to the side. Using his free hand once again, he used the Force to telekinetically angle the arms of his helpless foe until both of the Nikto's hands were resting atop one another over his stomach. A sharp gasp and a coughing of blood came from the man's mouth next as his eyes went wide; the pike had been thrust through both his hands and stomach, impaling him horizontally to the floor.

"Now tell me… where is the Celestial Scanner?" Nachtgeist stared intently at his victim at his feet, eyes narrowed and voice merciless. No compromise, mercy dependent on a matter of cooperation.

"Heh… go to hell, Imperial son of a murglak! I'll tell you nothing!" Kur'tok spat out more blood as he resisted. His defiance would do little good at this point. Nachtgeist gave a condescending sigh as he revealed and extended yet another periscopic pike.

"Pride is all well and good, but it cannot guarantee the benefits of a full life," his warning complete, the Grand Inquisitor literally drove home his point by stabbing the pinned Morgukai chieftain straight through the center of his torso, narrowly, purposely impaling him further up his chest, just below any vital organs. Kur'tok let out another howl of agony, quickly subdued by his hacking up of more blood, now running down the corners of his mouth, "It would seem I'm getting closer to your heart, chieftain. I suggest you spill your guts, before I have to do so for you."

"Never! I'll never let you walk out of this place with that relic!" the veteran Morgukai cried out as he gritted his teeth, doing his best to fight the pain.

"You speak as though you have a choice in the matter. For someone versed in training with the Force, you should know what happens next," as he spoke to his defeated enemy, Nachtgeist closed his eyes and extended his left hand, splayed open as he reached out through the Force. The eyes of the chieftain went wide as he sensed the Dark Side tearing away at the defenses of his mind, a steady and tormenting process. Both fear and pain were induced in the minds of the victims, tools to dig through the subconscious.

"No! Damn you, no! You can't!"

"I can, and I am. Why should I rely on you to provide me the information I require when I can just rip it out from your skull?"

"No! NO! AAAAGH!"

"Ah… there it is… hidden beneath the catacombs. A hidden passageway, a fingerprint code sequence lock. Too bad for you, that the key is at my feet…" the Dark Side master did not even bother using a blade, he simply reached down with his gloved hand and ripped an index finger off from one of the impaled hands of the chieftain, who promptly let out another tortured shout, "Do not worry too much, chieftain. The rest of your clan will be joining you on the other side shortly."

"Bastards, all of you! You will answer for- URRRK!" another pike was impaled right through his throat, leaving his final words trailed off in a garbled, bloodied mess. The Grand Inquisitor opened his eyes once more as he turned and took his leave without another word, leaving the dying man to succumb to blood loss alone, and in agony.

Throughout the surrounding hallways and chambers, more of the Morgukai who had been disarmed and defeated were stuck on the walls with similar pikes running them through as well. Their pinned, dying bodies twitched helplessly as blood oozed down the walls and dripped from them, pooling on the floor beneath them. The Inquisitors intended to leave at least few up after they died as a warning to any possible future trespassers, defiance to the Empire had a price, and nobody could escape paying their dues in the end. No one at all.

* * *

It had been a few days since the raid on Ovoo IV. In the aftermath of the chaotic circumstances that had resulted in significant casualties for both sides, the emergency lockdown was extended until the entire asteroid was re-secured. In the main control room on the upper levels of the central security tower, Captain Sentarion, freshly released from his stay in the medical center following the fighting, found that a holocall from Grand Moff Tarkin had been put through for him specifically. He stood at full attention as did several other Imperial officers present as the supreme commander of the Imperial military addressed the former from his office on Coruscant.

"It has come to my attention that you and your unit were successful in preventing a full-scale disaster in the prison, neutralizing all but one of the escaped inmates the Rebels were trying to evacuate. I understand one of them was a Jedi, yes?" his tone was cold and nonchalant, however, Sentarion was unfazed.

"That is correct. Background checks and DNA analysis has confirmed his true identity as a survivor of Order 66. He was recaptured alive, and was relocated to one of the _specially-constructed_ cells once it was made certain he wouldn't succumb to his injuries. His knowledge may prove useful in protecting the interests of the Empire, sir."

"Very good, Captain. Now, onto the next matter of business; I will admit that when Thrawn and Nachtgeist first suggested this experiment with the ESRTF, with the backing of my subordinates in High Command, I was skeptical. Employing the battle strategies of an alien species that has almost completely succumbed to enslavement at the hands of another species seemed pointless and counterproductive. However, upon reviewing the performance of you and your men, Captain, perhaps there is value in the training of these so-called 'Sacred Bands' of the Evocii after all. And so it is that I am making you and your men an official unit in the armed forces, the first of a new division within the Imperial Army," after Tarkin further elaborated, Sentarion raised his hand in a second, full salute of his high superior.

"Grand Moff, I and my troops are honored, sir!"

"Indeed you are. The Emergency Security Response Task Force is no more. Henceforth, Captain, or rather, shall I say, Lieutenant Commander, you and your team shall be known as Unit A in the all-new ATR, or the Advanced Tactical Response division. Do extend my congratulations to your men, and do inform the Vice Commandant she is to remain in command of the facility until a replacement for Nefrancis can be sent," with the roundabout praise and promotion from the older, veteran officer completed in conjunction with new orders, Sentarion gave yet another salute as he replied dutifully and resolutely.

"At once, sir!"

* * *

After subduing and neutralizing the last of the Morgukai in the ancient temple, the Inquisitors and the ancient assassin droid made their way down into the hidden vault uncovered by their leader. It was simple to use the gruesome key he'd taken from the chieftain, and then it was just a matter of activating the early Jedi relic, the Celestial Scanner, using the Force. The rusted remains of the Force-sensitive cybernetic augments recovered on Manaan were placed in the device, which revealed their point of origin; the island that upon which the Temple of the Ancients stood, on the lost Outer Rim world of Lehon, the founding world of the nearly-mythical Infinite Empire and home of its fabled rulers, the Rakata.

Upon entering outer orbit over the surface of Tython down below, the two Imperial shuttles flew over into and landed in one of the hangars in the main bay of the flagship of the Imperial Fourth Fleet, a top of the line Star Destroyer named the _Furious Vengeance_. Boarding ramps extended, the passengers disembarked both starships. Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist led the way, first approaching his new first lieutenant from the Imperial Navy, who had come down from the bridge to meet the arrival in person along with his own lieutenant. The men addressed one another respectfully and formally.

"Vice Admiral Paelleon, Fleet Commander Eclipse, thank you for your timely arrival with the fleet. Our business on the planet below has just concluded."

"Very good, sir. I trust it was a worthwhile endeavor?" the middle-aged, light-skinned male human officer with greying brown hair and mustache inquired. His focus shifted to the datapad his superior pulled out of his robes.

"The coordinates for my next voyage are on this. I want it programmed into the navicomputer as well as copied and transmitted to the rest of the fleet immediately," Nachtgeist handed the device to the Vice Admiral as he spoke.

"Consider it done, sir," Paelleon replied in strict affirmation. The man's stoicism and right to the point approach reminded the Dark Side master very much of Thrawn, who had a few months prior been promoted once more and gone onto his own individual command.

"Grand Inquisitor, sir, the fleet is at one hundred percent operating efficiency and ready to depart on your orders," Juno Eclipse informed the menacing Evocii, next. She was younger than her superior officer with a less-decorated uniform. However, her own rank and the fact that he'd been hand-picked by Paelleon to serve under him was noteworthy in of itself. She was a light-skinned human female with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her expression was disciplined and her tone respectful. Indeed, she had been a model cadet at the academy.

"That's good to hear, Commander. With system checks complete, you can inform Captain Suradasa that I'll be heading over to take command of his ship shortly. I expect everything on that dossier to be met by the mark of zero hour, standard rotation time, tonight," the Grand Inquisitor paused as he allowed the two Humans in front of him to skim over the contents of the device he'd handed the Vice Admiral. When she finished reading, Eclipse spoke up in affirmation.

"There shouldn't be any trouble with that, sir. A battalion of troopers will be dispatched to reinforce the standing units on the _Oblivion_. I'll personally alert the captain and the science officer on board that additional labor droids along with archeological equipment and two teams will be heading over as well."

"Once you depart, I'll begin moving the fleet to Darvranis and await further orders as per your instructions, sir," Paelleon said in reply, next. Nachtgeist nodded to the both of them as he gestured to his cohorts behind him with a raised hand, allowing them to take their leave. Preparations would take time. Behind them, two labor droids carried the crate housing the Celestial Scanner out from the shuttle, its next destination down in the vaults of the flagship.

"Now, make haste, both of you. The sooner we get underway, the better. The eyes of Lord Vader and the Emperor himself are upon us," Nachtgeist finished, his tone both respectful and firm.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Rebel base on the Far Rim world of Atollon, the Lasat warrior returned to the medical center where both Ezra and Sabine were still recuperating. He nodded to the both of them with a light smile as he entered through the doorway. Ezra regarded him with a similar expression and spoke up first. Sabine, meanwhile, appeared lost in thought to herself with her eyes lowered. Her slightly younger teammate addressed their guest, first.

"Hey Zeb, are Kanan and Hera back yet?"

"That's a no, I'm afraid. Apparently on the way back from Nar Shaddaa they got new orders to divert to Saleucami and meet with a possible info dealer with no love for the Empire. The commander didn't want to pass up the opportunity to expand our contacts in the Outer Rim," Zeb explained as he gestured over his shoulder, likely allotting to the command room down the hall behind them.

"That makes sense, thanks, Zeb…" Ezra lowered his head as he trailed off hesitantly. Not even the gruff, veteran warrior could easily ignore the pained expression on the young man's face. He sighed and walked over to the padawan's bedside as he continued.

"Hey now, I'm sure everything's fine on their end. Kanan's still a Jedi Knight, and you know by now Hera's tougher than she looks," the Lasat smirked as he saw Ezra lift his head, his expression becoming more uplifted at the same time.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

"Suppose? Gee, thanks, kid," Zeb replied sarcastically, and both he and Ezra shared a laugh, "Looking forward to when the two of you are back up on your feet. I'll check in again later," he added as he turned to leave, having tasks to perform elsewhere in the base.

"Later, Zeb!"

"Hey, Zeb," Sabine finally said to the warrior cautiously, the look in her eyes telling the Lasat she needed to speak to their teammate alone, and he nodded to her slightly before stepping out the door. Ezra had noticed this and quickly turned to face her.

"Uhh, Sabine?" the Padawan inquired, in a confused tone.

"Ezra... there's something I need to talk to you about…" she began softly, her eyes and her face betraying her worry.

 **A/N: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Best wishes to each and every one of you. Work has begun on Chapter 9 and it should be out sometime next week. I've also been continuing with formulating the plot for the upcoming third story in this ongoing series. For now, I leave you with another reminder that your continued support of my work here is above and beyond what I could have asked of you. This happens because of your inspiration, so again, thank you. :)**


	9. Chapter 9: Descent into Legends

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: Surprise! Three Chapters in one week! A rare treat for you all from me, but I have no particular control when the creative juices are flowing in my mind, such as it were. Enjoy! Also, a fair warning for you all, there is more drama than usual in this one.**

Chapter 9: Descent into Legends

The air in the room where both Ezra and Sabine had been assigned for recovery following the mission to Ovoo IV had turned from relatively light to thick with tension and uncertainty from both occupants, it was an unwelcome but unavoidable turn of events for them both. Clearing his throat, Ezra spoke up in a cautious question.

"Well… what is it you need to talk to me about, Sabine?" he eyed her carefully, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. Hers was only the latter, at least that's what it looked like at first glance. However, despite her attempts to mask it, the padawan could sense a faint twinge of… fear, coming from his slightly older teammate. It unnerved him, and only served to soften his expression in genuine worry even further.

"Ezra… I… I saw what happened back at the prison. When you… when you killed the warden. I wasn't exactly unconscious when you fought him," as Sabine spoke slowly and softly, Ezra felt his eyes widen. Not once had it occurred to him during that brutal fight that maybe she was a witness to the whole ordeal. He was too focused on the moment, completely lost in his _rage_. She saw him kill a man, after she begged him to spare another just minutes prior?

"Sabine… I-"

"Ezra, what you said… are you sure there was no other way? Did… did you think about another way, and realize it wasn't possible?" her tone was a combination of both worry and desperate, her voice wavering as she spoke. It was as if she was asking him the worst, and giving him an out as much as herself, trying to avoid the answer she didn't want to hear. He had never heard her speak to him like this before. He was bewildered to say the least. Was she really so upset over him killing someone who was trying to kill them both, or was there another reason to this sudden, unsettling change in her demeanor? The way she was talking to him right now…

"Sabine… there was no other option. He was determined to kill us both and stop us and everyone else from escaping. I killed him so we could live," he spoke in a tone that made his surprise evident, like he couldn't comprehend why she was asking him, because he really couldn't. She knew this right away, and it only served to upset her further.

"We've been fighting people who've been determined to kill us many times for a while now, Ezra. We didn't end every one of their lives, did we? What made this time different?" her tone was shifting from desperate to accusatory, and this change only served to annoy him. Why was she so determined to press this?

"This guy was seriously skilled, Sabine. If you were conscious and saw the fight as you say, then you also saw him grab his sword with his teeth after I cut off both his arms! Nobody we've fought before had those kind of combined physical reflexes and strength, even Force users! If I hadn't finished him off, we'd both be dead! What's gotten into you?" the direction of this conversation was quickly going in a direction she didn't want, but for some reason, Sabine felt no need to try and remedy it. His question left her feeling shocked and… _hurt_.

"What's gotten into _me_? What's gotten into _you_ , Ezra?! You never used to fight to kill so openly, so fiercely. You could have used the Force to push him away before he recovered his weapon! You weren't planning on sparing him at _all_ , were you?" this time, her words made him angry. Now she was definitely trying to interrogate him regarding his actions that saved her life as much as his own. How could she doubt him like this?

"So what if I wasn't? He made it clear he was planning to torture both you and Zett after he killed me! He wasn't someone who was a good person on the inside, Sabine! What's the point in defending someone like that?!" the way he snapped at her, sudden and harsh, almost made her flinch. Luckily, her training as a Mandalorian made her adept at identifying and avoiding such negative reflexes. Her eyes narrowed as his own did the exact same.

"It's not just the fact that you killed _him_ , Ezra. It's the fact that you went into battle _intending_ to take away someone's life from the _start_! We're fighting to try and liberate the Galaxy from people who oppress and kill other people without a second thought as to what they're doing! If we stoop to their level so easily, how can we possibly claim to be any better than the evil we're fighting?" Sabine couldn't believe she, a Mandalorian warrior, was arguing about the moral high ground of proper conduct when fighting to a Jedi. The irony was indeed thick, much like the tension. At the mere suggestion that he could be equated to the likes of the Empire, the likes of the Sith, Ezra inadvertidly snarled in outrage. Her eyes widened briefly before returning to her scowl to match his own.

"You're seriously comparing me to who we fight, Sabine? I can't believe this!" he growled in frustration and anger, both mounting with every second that passed between them.

"I can't believe I'm even _having_ this conversation with you! This isn't the Ezra I know! The Ezra I…" her shout died down with her words as they trailed off, uncertain of what to say next but unable to look away.

"The Ezra that you what?" said Padawan inquired, lowering his own voice, his expression softening simultaneously with her own.

"The Ezra that I-" her face heated up as she began slowly, but she was quickly interrupted by a new arrival. Both she and her slightly younger teammate jumped slightly, startled at the mechanized voice of the medial droid.

"Pardon my intrusion, you two organic patients, but it's time for evening checkup before your scheduled evening sustenance arrives," the droid informed the two as he entered the room.

"Just give us a minute, would ya?" the Padawan snapped, but the droid was undeterred.

"That's a negative, I have a programmed schedule that cannot be delayed or interrupted in any way. Now, we shall begin."

"Ugh, fine, then," Ezra sighed exasperatedly as he laid back down on his bed, frankly relieved that Sabine was prevented from berating him any further. Reluctantly, she silently laid back as well, her cheeks still tinted a slight red, her gaze downcast as she returned to her thoughts, worry and concern both the watchwords once again. How long could she hide it from him? What was happening to him…?

* * *

It was shortly before noon on the following day when the _Ghost_ returned to the Rebel base on Atollon. It was also about the same time at both Ezra and Sabine were released from the medical center. Much to Ezra's chagrin, Kanan had neglected to attend the meeting in the command room, but that disappointment was quickly drowned out with the revelation of the unexpected guest that both Kanan and Hera had brought back to Atollon with them.

"Kavir! You're alive?! What happened?!" the blonde freedom fighter chuckled at Ezra's words as he give a dual thumbs up with both his hands, organic and cybernetic. Zeb and Chopper had been similarly surprised at his unexpected arrival as well.

"A little worse for wear, but nothing I couldn't pull through from. I just the rest of my friends who made it off Ord Mantell could've made it here, quite an operation you Rebels have," he gave a sad smile to his allies.

"What happened on Nar Shaddaa?" Sabine inquired with Hera as she walked up to Ezra's side. Fleet Commander Jun Sato kept his focus on Hera, no doubt eager to hear the details of what transpired as well. The rogue Twi'lek pilot began explaining the details of what should have been a routine supply trip with Kanan. Suffice to say, the unexpected twists and turns of her report did not go without surprise from those around her, save Kavir of course. Sabine felt her eyes go wide as she listened to the latter describe the assailant.

"Do you know who this bounty hunter is, Sabine? Does he sound familiar to you?" Hera asked worriedly.

"Boba Fett…" she mumbled just above a whisper. Ezra arched a brow at the name.

"Who?" the padawan inquired further and the others watched closely.

"I know him by name and reputation only. He's the son of the last Mandalore, the one who is named the singular ruler of my people. There's few among the Mandalorians who haven't heard of the exploits of his clan. Like his father before him, he works as a bounty hunter, and but he's distinguished himself as being more… aggressive in his work," with the description of this attacker provided by Sabine deemed satisfactory in his mind, Sato decided to press the more important concern.

"I've heard the name as well. So he's definitely a professional and a Mandalorian. Any idea why he'd be targeting you and your men, Kavir Oslan?" the Human officer turned to face the man in question, who merely sighed sadly while looking down in shame, no doubt in memory of the ordeal.

"We were all fugitives from the Empire, that alone woulda' marked us for death."

"Still why send a professional of that caliber just to mop up some stragglers? No offense meant," Zeb commented.

"None taken," Kavir replied before adding, "Still, if I had to guess, based on his footsteps which I had to hear while almost out of it once he blasted me, it definitely seemed like he was lookin' for somethin'. Any of ya got any idea what ya might've had on that ship worth somethin' to the Empire?" as Kavir inquired with them, Sabine blinked as she looked to her side, noticing Ezra's eyes had gone wide for an instant at the words of their ally. Did he know something she didn't?

"Excuse me, I need to… report to Jedi training…" the young padawan began to back away as he excused himself. The teenage Mandalorian raised an eyebrow skeptically, but Sato nodded, apparently buying the ruse.

"Very well, you may go," and with that, Ezra was out the door, Sabine watching him warily as he hastily departed.

"Strange, Kanan didn't mention a thing about training when we got back," Hera voiced her own skepticism, but the matter at hand quickly recaptured her attention, "Anyway, I checked around the ship on our way back, and nothing's missing. Kanan even checked for his Jedi holocron, and it wasn't taken, either. Maybe that bounty hunter really was just on a kill job," as she continued, she looked over to Kavir with a solemn, sympathetic expression, and he nodded sadly.

"Maybe…"

"Excuse me, I need to… run maintenance on my helmet," Sabine blurted out, attempting her own relief from the meeting. She had to know…

"I suppose that's acceptable," this time, Sato sounded like he too was becoming skeptical, but not enough to call anyone out.

"Thanks!" Sabine called out from over her shoulder as she too left the way Ezra had less than a minute prior. As the door sealed behind her, the Human officer turned back to Hera and Kavir.

"Now, onto the next order of business. Your last transmission indicated that the stopover on Saleucami was productive?"

"It would appear that way, sir. The man who asked us to meet with him said that less than a week ago there was a top secret Imperial operation conducted in the Core Worlds, on Tython," Hera explained, and now it was Zeb's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Tython?"

"The planet where the Jedi Order was founded millennia ago. I heard stories of the place from my mother when I was a girl, my people once had a colony there," the Twi'lek pilot elaborated further. Sato spoke up again, next.

"The Jedi have all but been completely wiped out by this point. What could the Empire have been after on such a remote world?"

"This contact didn't have that many details, but apparently the old Jedi temple there was occupied by a clan of Force-sensitive Nikto warriors who'd just successfully raided an Imperial vault on Byss," Hera continued, and Sato didn't need to be told twice.

"The Emperor's personal treasure trove…" as her superior trailed off, Hera nodded in affirmation. Zeb spoke up, next.

"No doubt whatever they stole was deemed irreplaceable. Seems for all their brazen, the thieves didn't run far enough with their loot."

"The Imperials have more than likely already reclaimed whatever was stolen, but if there is a chance any clues might've been left behind as to what that was or how valuable it may have been…" Sato added, then paused in thought before he continued, "Did you get the name of this information broker who told you of this?" he was dismayed when Hera immediately shook her head.

"Whoever this contact was, he made certain to keep his identity a secret. He only spoke to us from behind a wall in another room, using a wall camera to see us and comm equipment to make sure we could hear each other. His voice was electronically disguised, like Fulcrum's would've been," the Twi'lek explained further.

"So, whadda we doin' now?" Kavir asked, and Chopper chirped up, wondering the same aloud as well.

"I think, perhaps, you should confer with Kanan Jarrus, Captain Syndulla. It might do well to ask him if he knows anything about the temple on Tython," Sato stated in suggestion, and Hera nodded in agreement.

* * *

Meanwhile, over on board the _Ghost_ inside the cabin he shared with the Lasat warrior, Ezra had nearly torn the drawer that had contained his secret prize out of the wall beneath his roommate's bunk. He was shaking in anger and frustration at the feared but expected revelation he'd been dreading since being in the command room; the Sith holocron, _his_ holocron, was gone! His eyes were narrowed as he growled in his mounting rage.

"No, no, no, NO! This can't be happening! Where's my holocron?!" had he not been so lost in his own thoughts, he might have noticed Sabine coming into the open doorway behind him, hearing him snap to himself.

"Holocron?" her soft, unexpected voice caused him to gasp and jump slightly in surprise. Rising back to his feet quickly, he turned to face her.

"Sabine! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Ezra. What did you mean ' _your_ holocron'?"

"I, uhh… well, you see-"

"The only holocron on the ship is the Jedi one brought by Kanan. Unless…" Sabine trailed off as she recounted events from a few months ago in her mind. She began to piece it all together, and now it was her turn to gasp, with wide eyes, "You mean the _Sith_ holocron?! The one from Malachor?! That's what it is, isn't it!" now her eyes narrowed as she leaned in with her hands on her hips, an accusatory glare on her face.

"So what if it is, Sabine? What's it to you?" Ezra fired back with a glare of his own.

"Are you kriffing me, Ezra?! No wonder you've been acting so different, lately! That thing has to be seriously strong with the Dark Side for the Inquisitors and Maul to have wanted to kill each other to obtain it! Remember that he _used_ you to try and take it for himself! He tried to kill both Kanan and Ahsoka for it! That holocron is too dangerous! It's the Dark Side for crying out loud!" her glare and her tone only grew more vicious as she spoke, but Ezra was ready to counter it.

"It may have been made for evil, but I'm using it for good, Sabine! You've seen how much stronger it's made me!" the Padawan retorted sharply, to little avail.

"Don't be stupid! That thing hasn't made you stronger, if anything using it has made you worse, not better!" this time, her words were almost enough to send him over the edge. He was positively irate at this point. How _dare_ she insult him like this?! He was getting stronger for everyone! For _her_!

"You don't know what you're talking about, Sabine! You know nothing of the Force!" Ezra shouted at the top of his lungs.

"I may not know about the Force, but I know about _you_! You aren't what that holocron was made for! You're not evil! Are you saying you _want_ to be evil?!" despite her ferocity, Sabine couldn't help but feel her chest ache with her words. Little did she know that a similar sensation was befalling the one she cared for in front of her.

"If using evil to destroy evil is what it takes to defeat the Empire, to end this war, then I'll use any fricking Sith _anything_ I want, and there's not _one damn_ _thing_ you can do about it!" as he roared at her in absolute fury, spit flying with his words, a stinging pain struck the side of his face as he felt a sudden, vicious slap rotate his head slightly to the side. He stumbled back as he clutched at his cheek, a red handprint now upon it. Sabine recoiled the offending arm responsible, her body shaking along with his, her expression a mix between fear, anger, and desperation, her eyes wide as she tried to process what just happened. His expression mirrored her own. Several minutes passed between them in tense, unbearable silence, interrupted only by their attempts to catch their breaths. Sabine finally tried to break the silence, as delicately as she could despite her heart and mind racing out of control.

"Ezra, I-"

"Just go, just get out, Sabine!" Ezra rasped as he blurted out harshly, his eyes narrowed but his expression pained. He couldn't stand the fallen expression on her own face as she nodded, silently and sadly, before backing out the way she came. The door finally closed and she was gone. He sunk to his hands and knees as he finally began to gather his bearings once again, for all the good that did him, " _Damn it_!" he slammed his fist onto the cold metal floor, a choked sob escaping him as a couple teardrops fell. Back in her own cabin, Sabine sniffled and wiped both eyes. No, she wouldn't cry. She was a Mandalorian! Still… it wasn't supposed to be like this…

* * *

Across the way on the other side of the base, perhaps Kanan would have been able to sense the emotional turmoil of his apprentice, were he not in a meditative trance in the shade of the _Liberator_ as he sat cross-legged by one of its extended landing gear. Within the deep recesses of his mind, he was seeing a vision through the Force.

 _He saw a narrow, underground corridor and a single, windowless room at the end. Six shadowy figures… a bronzium orb on a stand illuminating as it was opened. The shadowy character in front placing small, misshapen, flat objects into the light in the orb. The light shimmering as the objects were read by the orb. Kanan understood as a readout appeared on the screen on the stand..._

"The Celestial Scanner…"

* * *

It was from that readout on the early Jedi relic that the Grand Inquisitor and his subordinates had finally obtained the coordinates to the next stop on their journey. For over in the Outer Rim, over the tropical, water and island world of Lehon, the _Victory_ frigate named the _Oblivion_ cruised along leisurely in upper orbit.

On the large island below, the fabled, spire stone structure that was the Temple of the Ancients almost gleamed in the afternoon sun. The wreckage of starships both old and ancient littered the surrounding hills, beaches, and even open waters. At the ruins of a walled village in the jungle a few miles away from the tall, iconic structure, teams of organic and droid personnel were hard at work digging and tunneling their way through the sand and rubble. Portable shelters and defensive turrets were in place throughout the site, and squads of troopers were both on guard and patrol. The secrets inside the temple were almost within reach for the Inquisition and their leader. First however, a special key would be required.

 **A/N: Well, we're closing in on the final chapters of this story, everyone. Next is the one I imagine a lot of you have been anticipating, Chapter 10: The Shadow of Revan. Work has already begun, and it will likely be out sometime next week. Have a great weekend, folks! I think I look forward to seeing this continued as much as you do. :)**


	10. Chapter 10: The Shadow of Revan

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: And here we are, everyone. Part 1 of the 2-part climax of this sequel. It is in the footsteps of ancients strong in the Force that the Rebels go to confront the forces of the Inquisition. Enjoy!**

Chapter 10: The Shadow of Revan

By now, the Imperial landing team had been digging and entrenched on Lehon for over a standard week. Excavations at the remains of the Rakata village had been proceeding steadily and thoroughly; several ancient artifacts of significance to the fabled alien conquerors had been turned up, each and every one essential to the temple that lay through the hills and trees in the jungle around them. The Temple of the Ancients, where hypertechnology the likes of which would be largely forgotten had been designed eons prior in the era before the Old Republic and the first of the Jedi. Most of the few to hear the stories would regard the legends and only those, legends. However, the Grand Inquisitor and his subordinates were now on the cusp of proving there is more truth to legends than some choose to believe.

On a plasteel research table inside one of the larger fold-out, portable shelters at the excavation site, a stone tablet inlaid with silver components lay under the light. It was the latest find to be uncovered, and was freshly-cleaned before being handed over for inspection by one man. Using his gloved right hand, Dunkel Nachtgeist reached out with the Force, eyes closed as he focused on his task intently.

"It's faint, but I can sense residual energy of when the Force last touched this artifact… in the care of its Rakata owners… known only as the Elders according to the holocron left by Revan himself," without opening his eyes or taking a pause in his endeavor, the Grand Inquisitor listened as Starkiller stepped forward behind him and observed from over his shoulder.

"This makes number eight in terms of artifacts uncovered with some traces of ancient Force power still inside them. It's all that's needed, right?" the younger, Human Inquisitor asked respectfully.

"It should be sufficient. Only those trained in the ways of the Elders could perform the ritual to unseal the entrance to the temple. Combining residual traces of their own Force powers with what we've been able to piece together of the ritual they performed should be enough to bring down the invisible barrier constantly in place around the tower," Nachtgeist elaborated further before finally lowering his hand and reopening his eyes. He turned to face his cohort before continuing, "We should press on now that we have what we need. The artifacts must be moved to the entrance and placed evenly around the edges of the ritual circle. I trust you made certain it was cut into the dirt as specified?"

"Of course, sir," Starkiller replied immediately.

"Very good, then all is as it should be. I'll inform the lieutenant that final preparations are to begin, you recall all squads on patrol and redirect them to the temple grounds immediately. If the ritual were to be interrupted the results could be… severe."

"I will not delay, sir," the younger Inquisitor bowed to his superior and the two men left to carry out their next tasks, Nachtgeist delicately lifting and carrying the tablet with him through the Force.

* * *

As this was taking place, above the planet and beyond outer orbit, the _Ghost_ dropped out of hyperspace. At her usual station behind the controls in the pilot's chair, Hera quickly picked up the Imperial presence nearby on the sensors. Sabine sat in the co-pilot chair, running a scan while the Twi'lek to her left lowered the starship's energy output as to better avoid detection. The two could faintly make out the image of the enemy warship cruising along slowly nearly a full hemisphere away from their current position as they approached orbit.

"The Empire is definitely here, and that probably means we're in the right place," Hera alerted the rest of the crew over the comm. Ezra, Zeb, and Chopper all arrived in the cockpit less than a minute later. Sabine saw the Padawan enter out of the corner of here eye, and didn't miss that just for a brief instant, his focus was on her. She swallowed a lump in her throat she didn't know was there. Hera, apparently her own focus strictly on the mission, gave new instructions as he began piloting the vessel into orbit, "Sabine, what're we looking at down there?"

"Huh? Oh! Right! Umm…," she shifted her focus back to the console on her right she'd sent the scan from, swiveling her chair in the process, "Well the good news is it looks like there's just one Imperial frigate out there. The bad news, that means we're still more than likely facing a substantial force in numbers on the planet even if not up here."

"How we infiltrate this place will be key," Ezra assessed with a neutral expression on his face. An uncomfortable silence followed. The teenage Mandalorian could feel his eyes on her, and didn't need the Force to know the emotions hidden in the uncertain thoughts behind them. She was feeling something similar. She silently thanked Zeb for breaking the silence as he spoke up.

"Based on what Kanan told us from that vision of his, we're likely to find at least one or more of those damn Inquisitors down there. What is this place, anyway?" the Lasat warrior looked over to Hera, who had tried piecing together what info was available via the navicomputer during the voyage.

"To be honest, I wasn't able to find much in the way of details on this planet. It's not on any navigational charts or records, and the closest inhabited world in this system is about five quadrants away. Still, if it's this place the Empire went through so much trouble to obtain coordinates for, there must be something here we don't know about as of yet."

By now at this point, the _Ghost_ had entered the upper atmosphere. As Hera navigated her vessel through the white clouds, the crew got their first visual on the tropical islands that awaited them on the surface. Sabine commented on the sight before them.

"Looks like this place would be a good vacation destination, though those aren't exactly a pleasant sight," the more they descended, the more the scattered wrecks of starships that had come before them, of all shapes and sizes, came into view as well.

"What happened here?" Ezra said softly as he muttered aloud. Chopper gave a low hum, showing his wariness of their impending landing as he rolled into the cockpit further.

"Nothing I think I'd want to find out…" Zeb trailed off, his expression similar to the Padawan on his right. Hera leveled out their own starship as she began piloting towards the island specified in the coordinates Kanan provided after experiencing his vision.

"I'll be going in slow. From the look of these islands, our landing space will be limited, and the Empire has likely had more than enough time to dig their heels pretty deep wherever this place is," as she finished, the others turned to face the sound of the cockpit doors sliding open. A familiar ally had opted to come along with them.

"I've been itching for a real fight, though I doubt any Stormtrooper in that junk armor will be much of a challenge," Rex scoffed to himself at his own words, evidently still thinking lowly of the rank and file Imperial soldiers.

With the realization that the Empire was more than likely to dedicate a significant number of troopers and resources to this top-secret operation, Sato had okayed the first deployment of a company of volunteer Rebellion soldiers under Rex's command for this mission. While by default equipped with lower-quality gear than their Imperial foes, these guerilla fighters weren't short on determination and commitment to their cause. They awaited orders from the older, clone captain in the main hold of the _Ghost_.

Keeping the energy output and altitude to a minimum, Hera carefully navigated her craft below the higher cliffs and jungle brush as she steered along the western shore of the island. However, out of the corner of his eye, Zeb saw that Ezra had uncomfortably shifted, his face showing concern. It was as though he was seeing something the others could not.

"Hey, kid, you okay?" the Lasat warrior inquired genuinely. Sabine turned her head slightly, wanting to know what was going on, but not wanting to make Ezra anymore uncomfortable in her presence. At least this time, it appeared to be something else. Rex joined Zeb at the Padawan's side as the latter finally cleared his throat and spoke up once he collected himself.

"I sense something very strong in the Force on that island out there."

"The Dark Side?" Rex asked with a raised eyebrow. Ezra immediately shook his head.

"No, it doesn't feel like the Dark Side… but it doesn't feel like the Light Side, either. Still, it's a seriously strong presence. Not even being around Vader or Maul came close to what I'm sensing right now," he elaborated further as Hera rounded a small peninsula.

Once that was done, everyone in the cockpit finally caught sight of the Temple of the Ancients, standing tall in the distance. Ezra's eyes went wide. This time, Sabine turned in her chair to face him. She didn't need to ask him what was happening, she knew him well enough by now.

"What you're sensing is coming from that stone structure," it was a statement rather than a question. She watched as his eye met hers and he nodded slowly.

"That's it all right. What _is_ that place? What's in there?" The Padawan wondered aloud, but the clone captain needed no further explanation.

"Probably what the Empire came here for, meaning nothing good if they're after it. Captain Syndulla, we should land as close to that thing as we can get. For all we know, the Imperials have been swarming the place for the last week, and may have already found whatever it is they want inside."

"I'll do my best, captain, but there don't appear to be many clearings and I don't want to attract undue attention. I'll get as close as I safely can, but you guys will need to make your way over to that place on foot," the Twi'lek pilot replied. In the distance, opposite of another cove beach and more dense jungle foliage stood the remains of another walled village. This site however was unoccupied.

"There! The ruins and trees should give us some necessary cover!" Sabine suggested as she pointed to the site, and Hera agreed, slowing speed as she prepared the _Ghost_ for landing. In the center of what looked like the rubble of an ancient arena, the converted light stock freighter gently touched down on the sand-covered and caked stone floor. It wasn't long before everyone on the ship, sans Hera and Chopper, disembarked to begin making their way to the temple, which remained in sight upon the hills coiled in jungle to the northwest.

"We need to hurry!" Ezra took point, followed by the others.

"You heard the Jedi, everyone! Move out!" Rex reiterated from beneath his Phase 2 armor helmet. He couldn't help but muse in the recesses of his mind that this truly felt like old times for him.

* * *

It would take a considerable amount of time for the Rebels to hike their way further inland. It was some time later where just outside the entrance to the Temple of the Ancients, both Grand Inquisitor Dunkel Nachtgeist and Inquisitor Starkiller sat on their legs, knees bent, on opposite ends of the ritual circle, the left and right sides of the two men respectively facing the iconic structure beyond. Their hands were firmly clasped in front of their torsos. A lone wooden stake had been driven into the ground in the center of the circle, ablaze in a fire that crackled in the sea-swept winds that billowed around them, the capes of both men doing the same.

The circle itself was carves neatly into the grass and dirt beneath them in intricate, ancient design. It was a perfect replica of the ones dug and drawn by the ancient Rakata Elders. The eight artifacts that had been uncovered at the Elder village were all evenly placed along the rim of the circle. The ritual had begun and been underway for a while now. Two full companies of troopers, one of them a detachment of clones from the 338th Legion, had taken defensive positions just beyond the ritual site near the edge of the jungle. Steep hills and large rocks provided optimal cover. Just beyond their positions, both Nachtgeist and Starkiller were reaching the culmination of the ritual. The former began reciting a chant in the ancient language of the Rakata.

"Aratta-ban, ka mora seratanu morido! Iken-afi urosora ka mora orsoriti huraho kenta-fan! Sohan odo foseratu murnatani! Osoroti derasuiri morido! Kuri-fenio! Kuri-fenio! Kuri-fenio! Kuri-fenio!"

Upon the final repeat of the last phrase, a sharp hum seemed to emanate from the direction of the temple. It cut off just as quickly as it began, echoing outward. The two stone doors up the ramp in the entryway grinded in their frame as they slowly slide open, revealing the dimly-lit interior of the tall structure. The two Inquisitors slowly rose to their feet, facing what they had just unlocked.

"It is done," Starkiller commented at the sight. Some of the troopers spared a glance in their direction as well, before returning their focus to the jungle in front of them.

"Finally, the path to the next stage of the operation is open to us. Now, we need to make our way up to the temple summit. It is only there where we will find what we seek. Be wary, for I doubt the Rakata would have just left the place unguarded," the Grand Inquisitor elaborated before pausing and turning to address his own clone officer, "Commander Alpha, any unauthorized personnel are to be killed on sight. Our business inside the temple must not be interrupted."

"It will be done, sir!" the veteran clone affirmed in salute from his crouched position behind a steep rock. The two Inquisitors took their leave immediately after, and soon were inside the ancient, imposing temple and out of sight. It was only a couple more minutes before the relative silence amidst the roaring ocean and the wind gusts was abruptly broken.

"Intruders inbound! They're closing fast!" one of the 338th Legion troopers relayed hurriedly over his comm unit to all of his comrades dispersed around the area.

"Lock and load, people! Make sure your blasters are set for kill, and wait for my orders!" Alpha replied over his own comm unit, rifle raised in his right hand. It wasn't long before, through the narrow pass out from the jungle, the Rebels were clearly in view as they advanced. Ezra drew and ignited his lightsaber as he sensed their foes just up ahead. "We got a Jedi… and… a traitor!" Alpha growled upon spotting the unwelcome sight of a defector in old clone trooper armor, "Open fire! Gun them down!"

Using both hands to firmly grip his lightsaber, Ezra used the blade to provide cover for the strike team as they closed in, the others immediately returning fire. All the while, they didn't let them their advance. The Imperials had to take caution against the blaster bolts deflected back in their direction. Alpha had served under and faced enough Jedi over the years to know they were at a disadvantage.

"Advance! Overrun their line!" Rex ordered to the soldiers he was leading.

"338th, stow your blasters! Bring out the rail guns! Focus all fire on the Jedi! The rest of you, hold the line!" Alpha ordered with a swipe of his left hand, signaling to the rest in the detachment from his legion as well as the other company under his command for this battle.

"That voice… no, another clone!" Rex gasped to himself, almost losing focus for a moment as he contemplated the revelation.

"I'll have your head, traitor!" Alpha gave a sharp retort as a reply.

The troopers of the 338th had revealed heavier rifles from behind their defensive positions after discarding their blasters. Taking aim at Ezra, they had to wait as their weapons charged up with a loud hum. However, only a moment later, dozens of tiny metallic bolts were discharged every with every second that passed.

"Ezra!" Sabine called out to the Padawan being targeted.

"Don't let up! Keep up the assault!" Ezra replied as he did his absolute best to block the incoming fire from the rail guns aimed at him. The required focus to successfully block each and every line of fire coming at him was so great he had to stop in his tracks. He was pinned, but holding his own, for now anyway.

A couple of the other troopers primed and lobbed thermal detonators at the advancing Rebels. Displaying her honed marksmanship skills, Sabine took precise aim and blasted both in mid-air, the premature explosions out of range to inure anyone. Growling in frustration as two of his soldiers were hit with blaster bolts as they made for cover now that Ezra was pinned, Rex took aim with his pistols ad he and Zeb began a flanking maneuver, the Lasat providing cover fire.

"Enough of this!" Alpha shouted as he witnessed two troopers go down to Rex's blasters. The other clone officer was startled as his left pistol was shot out of his hand, Alpha's precise aim with his own rifle quite evident.

"This fight is mine alone, big guy. Go help the others," Rex told the Lasat warrior at his side, who nodded before replying.

"I get it. Give him hell, old guy!" the two veterans shared a respectful and knowing smirk as they parted ways.

Alpha moved in with his blaster raised, and Rex took aim with his remaining pistol as well. From beneath their helmets and through their visors, the two men stared one another down, fingers set on the triggers. The older of the two spoke up, first.

"I can't say I was expecting to ever run into you again."

"Nor was I, but a welcome turn of events all the same," Alpha spoke with narrowed eyes.

"Ah well, afraid I can't say the same for that last part," Rex chuckled weakly, clearly not looking forward to the prospect of facing another former Republic trooper in battle. Alpha, however, merely snarled at the display.

"You dare laugh now, after all that you've done? When I first learned that you'd defected, I didn't want to believe it. But now, seeing you fighting alongside these traitors and terrorists leaves no doubt in my mind. You must answer for your crimes, _Captain_."

"I was under the impression that the last of the clones were decommissioned years ago. What're you still doing with the Empire?" Rex countered. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his allies steadily advancing, with Ezra leading the way. It seemed like the Imperial line had been broken, the troopers form the two companies that hadn't already gone down were falling back to the temple entrance. Rex knew if he could keep the head occupied, his allies should have little trouble dealing with the body. He didn't take his eyes or his aim off of Alpha.

"You thought wrong. While initially the Emperor decided to retire all clone personnel, those in his inner circle who still had faith in us persuaded him to show leniency to elite troops, such as commando squads and specialist divisions like the 338th, or the 501st," the aforementioned veteran the enunciated his point by removing his helmet, revealing to Rex's wide eyes a face that didn't look a day past forty years of age, "Those of us who remained loyal, those of us deemed worthy of staying on, got _this_. The Kaminoans perfected a means to shut off the growth acceleration. Now we live and grow as ordinary men under Imperial service!"

"I'd rather only have a few years left to live than live out a longer existence as some stooge to a tyrant. Those who left with me would agree as well. _This_ is a small price to pay to live as a free man!" Rex retorted sharply as he removed his own helmet, revealing his own, significantly-aged face to his former brother in arms.

" _Those who left with you_ ," Alpha spat sarcastically, "How about those who you and they _left behind_?!" We were _all_ brothers! For the rest of us, to abandon those who depend on you and your loyalty, something like that is _inconceivable_!" as he shouted in outrage, within the blink of an eye, Alpha drew and pressed the button on a detonation trigger that had been clasped to his utility belt.

Rex gasped once more in surprise, an expression of pure panic on his face as the battlefield erupted in a series of explosions. Trigger mines had been hidden beneath the dirt between the jungle and the temple. Alpha only had to wait for the last of his men to get out of range near the entrance.

"NO!" the former 501st captain shouted worriedly as he attempted to run towards the inferno. A blaster bolt that flew just in front of his head halted him.

" _I'm_ your opponent, traitor! If need be, we'll die together in this burning hell!" with the merciless ferocity evident in the tone of her former comrade, and with the flames beyond him reflected in his own eyes, Rex knew there would be no reasoning with Alpha. He turned back, matching the fierce expression waiting him with his own. He raised his blaster once more.

"So be it, _brother_."

And just as all traces of the former bond of brothers in arms was gone, so too was blasterfire quickly replaced with hand-to-hand combat. Both veteran clone officers, two men who'd chosen separate sides. Never again would they be on the same side. Never again would they call one another brother with it being sincere.

"You two, get going into the temple! I'll help out Rex and these greenhorns!" the Lasat shouted hurriedly to his younger teammates.

* * *

Most of the Rebels, the crew of the _Ghost_ included, had been able to avoid being blown apart by the mines. Through the chaos of the fires that raged around them, they quickly discovered they still had to face the remaining troopers, all of whom had been clear before the blast. Still, it was clear at this point that time was not on their side. Following behind him close, Sabine provided cover fire for Ezra as he cleared the way through the open doors to the temple, leaving their allies to hold off the Imperials as they went after the Inquisitors.

"I don't like the look of this…" Ezra trailed off warily as he and Sabine began navigating the corridors of the interior of the temple, finding the smoking remains of one ancient guard droid after the next. He kept his lightsaber raised, both as a precaution against any potential ambush, and to help illuminate every dimly-lit nook and cranny of the ancient complex.

"Clearly this place isn't of Jedi or Sith make," Sabine commented in reply as she took note of the tall statues of Rakata warriors that lined the corners and niches of every hallway, their hands clasped around ceremonial halberds. It was indeed rather clear that they were stepping into something neither of them could possibly comprehend. Answers would have to come at some point. Hopefully, they'd still be alive to hear them. It took more than at least several minutes of searching, but, able to sense that their opponents were up at the temple summit, Ezra was eventually able to find a way to access that point with his teammate at his side.

As the young Padawan and the teenage Mandalorian advanced on their location, Nachtgeist turned to his subordinate from his position at the terminal beneath the massive bronzium statue above and relayed his orders. His expression fierce and demanding. There was no room for error.

"I need more time to finish the download. Starkiller, deal with our uninvited guests!"

"They will fall to their knees in an instant," the armored younger Inquisitor replied from beneath his helmet as he drew and ignited his doublesaber, the crimson blades providing stark contrast to Ezra's green blade.

"I've come for my holocron, Grand Inquisitor!" the orphan from Lothal demanded sharply as the standoff ensued, his saber raised at their immediate opponent.

"Ezra... remember our first priority is finding out what they're doing here," Sabine reminded her teammate in a concerned tone, both of her twin blasters raised at Starkiller as well, who regarded the two of them with a neutral expression from beneath his visor.

"The secrets of the Ancients are not for the likes of you, meddlesome insurgents," Nachtgeist tauntingly pulled the holocron in question out from his robes and displayed it for Ezra to see before continuing, "If you want this back so badly, you little trainee, you'll have to come and get it!"

And with that, Ezra charged with a roar of his frustration and anger, his path to the Grand Inquisitor firmly blocked by Starkiller, who readied to meet the incoming attack head on.

"Ezra, wait!" Sabine called out to her fellow teen, but it was too late.

So it was that atop the summit of the Temple of the Ancients, under the tropical mid-afternoon sun and beneath the gaze of the bronzium statue of Darth Revan, battle was joined at this historic location once more. Ezra quickly discovered that Starkiller was of superior ability than all of the other, lesser Inquisitors he'd faced thus far. Only Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist himself, who had returned to his business at the terminal, and needless to say, Darth Vader, proved themselves to be superior opponents without contest for Ezra and his master. Completely caught off guard by the immense power behind the defense of his enemy, Ezra was forced to tighten his grip so as not to lose his own lightsaber as Starkiller's bared down on him. The sheer might behind the saber lock was almost enough to literally force the Padawan off of his feet.

Sabine wasted no time as she understood Ezra was at a disadvantage facing Starkiller alone, and she needed no reminders of how easily Nachtgeist had taken her down the last time she and the crew faced him on Ord Mantell. As she took aim with her blasters, she didn't miss how the Grand Inquisitor had returned his focus to the terminal. This was not a good sign; he had complete faith in his subordinate to hold both her and Ezra off, and he certainly didn't come off as someone who placed such trust lightly.

Starkiller ducked to avoid behind hit in the face with several blaster bolts that were fired in his direction with precise aim, using his free hand to send Ezra flying back with a startled huff. The Padawan landed on his feet, and his slightly older teammate rushed to his side.

"Ezra, I know you're still irked at me, but we need to work together if we're to have any hope of winning against this guy. Surely you can sense what kind of power he has through the Force?" Sabine tried to reason with Ezra just above a whisper. He sighed as he nodded, knowing that whether he liked it or not, she was right.

"Yeah, he's not quite as dangerous as his master, but still, the Dark Side is very strong in him. I'm not sure the two of us together will even be enough."

"Don't talk like that! If worse comes to worse, we just need to keep him occupied until Zeb and Rex make it up here. I'll call in air support from Hera, and that should be enough to overwhelm them both," the Mandalorian attempted to reassure her teammate, raising her voice only slightly. He silently nodded once more in affirmation, a new strategy forming in his mind as he heeded her words.

"All right, how about this? I'll go in first and get his attention, then you- GAH!"

"What?! No- AGH!"

"Worms…" Starkiller mocked dismissively as he literally dragged both of his opponents to him, reaching out and seizing them with both hands through the Force, "Ordinarily I don't interrupt a conversation already in progress, but we are short on time over here."

Both Ezra and Sabine tumbled over the stone floor beneath them, warmed in the afternoon sun above clear skies. The sheer power and abruptness behind the telekinesis that had grabbed them and pulled them to the floor was enough to knock their weapons out of their hands. Their futile, startled grunts and shouts halted with gasps as they stopped at the feet of their enemy, completely helpless and face down just before his boots.

"Damn… it…" Ezra struggled to get out, the intense pressure weighing down on both Sabine and himself was enough to ensure neither of them could move a muscle to try and resist.

"Perhaps when you said that they would fall to their knees, you were being too generous and giving them undue merit," the Grand Inquisitor commented from over his shoulder, pressing a single button on his wrist comm as he did so.

Without another word, Starkiller used his left hand to keep the Padawan and the Mandalorian suppressed while drawing his doublesaber back out with his right, reigniting both blades as he raised it horizontally. Both of the blades were perfectly positioned over the backs of their necks, and wasting no time at all, the Human Inquisitor began to loosen his grip, with his right hand only.

"Anticlimactic, but at least, more merciful than you could have expected," Starkiller informed the helpless pair below rather drolly.

Sabine found that she was still able to move an arm just freely enough to slide it over towards Ezra. Apparently, with only one hand still keeping them down, Starkiller had placed greater emphasis on preventing the Jedi from making any effective movements with his limbs. Ezra was startled as he felt the young woman at his side curl her fingers into his. He was able to muster his strength, and rotate his head to the side just enough to see her somber, serious expression. She wanted him to know she was still right here with him… It wasn't but a moment later before his expression mirrored her own, tightening his fingers around hers. She wasn't going to let him think he was dying alone, not even for a second.

Starkiller halted abruptly as he caught sight of the display at his feet. Even if his own power to sense through the Force wasn't as honed as it was, he would still have been able to understand the emotions behind their movements and expressions quite easily. For a brief moment, his emotionless, stoic expression beneath his helmet shifted to something more akin to… hesitation… and perhaps just maybe, empathy. It didn't last.

"We're not taking prisoners today, Starkiller. Finish them!" Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist commanded, instantly pulling the younger Inquisitor out of his own thoughts and focus on the duo at his feet.

"Yes, sir!" with renewed purpose and focus, said Human returned to his task at hand. However, the opportunity had passed, and he had to leap out of the way to avoid a barrage of blasterfire sent in his direction. The Lasat warrior had arrived as backup. Both Ezra and Sabine gasped heavily for breath as the pressure that had kept them pinned was instantly abated.

"You waited too long, boy. Now cut them down to size before I have to step in!" the Evocii was harsh in his tone, signifying he was indeed displeased at the weakness his subordinate just showed. The download was now being finalized. Returning to a combative stance, Starkiller silently nodded, both to himself and his superior. He wouldn't allow himself to be so careless a second time.

* * *

Back down below just outside the entrance to the temple, the last of the soldiers of the Rebellion who had been assigned to Rex's command was gunned down as he desperately attempted to grab his rifle that had been knocked from his grip, the Human howling in pain as holes were burnt into his torso. The rest of his comrades who hadn't been killed when the mines went off had been taken down by either the rail guns or the other blaster rifles as well. The Imperial troopers, knowing that their commander had the situation with Rex in hand, split up. The detachment from the 338th stormed the entrance, on the way to provide support for the Inquisitors up top. The other company returned to defensive positions around the entrance, careful to avoid the flames, while also keeping close watch on their commander's progress. They would intervene only by his command, and it seemed unlikely to come at this point. The hand-to-hand reunion between the former brothers and arms was as good as done.

"ARGH!" Rex shouted in pain, forced to the ground with his arm twisted around his back, Alpha's armored and bent elbow slamming into his back.

"If only you'd stuck around to get the antidote, then perhaps this would have been a more fair fight, _Captain_ ," the former Republic ARC trooper, turned Imperial infantry commander, reiterated mockingly with a huff. He had to acknowledge silently that it was still a good fight.

"I'm not going to beg for my life, _Commander_ ," Rex retorted, even more so out of breath and in a like tone, "Finish me if that's really what you want," he frowned as Alpha merely chuckled lightly at his words.

"It _is_ really what I want, _old friend_ , but orders are orders, and my superiors want someone like you to be taken alive. You won't be facing death by my hand or the firing squad just yet."

"I'll never talk!" the older clone spat in defiance at the mere suggestion of being taken prisoner.

"That remains to be seen, but first, I'm going to do what should've been done a long time ago, for everyone one of my brothers you betrayed," as he finished with a growl, Alpha backhanded Rex over the top of his head, knocking him to the ground, hard. Hitting the dirt face-first with a choked gasp, the former 501st officer felt blood run down from where he was struck on the head. He struggled to remain conscious, and could only be grateful in silence as he gave muffled groans every time a foot slammed into his back, repeatedly. A couple of the troopers flinched as they caught sight of the beating.

" _This_ is for Cody!" the 338th commander began between stomps, "For Appo!" another stomp, "For Bacara!" and another, "For Gree!" yet another, "For Fordo!" and another again, "For everyone!" it really wasn't much longer before Rex slipped into unconsciousness. Over the jungle off in the distance, an Imperial gunship was inbound along with the Grand Inquisitor's shuttle, the former loaded with a tank of chemicals to douse the fire before it got out of hand.

* * *

As this had been taking place, back atop the temple summit, the duel between the three Rebels and Starkiller was winding down just as quickly as it had intensified. Even while combining their efforts, Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, and Garazeb Orellios found they were little contest for Inquisitor Starkiller, who appeared no worse for wear against them as he effortlessly dodged, blocked, deflected, or parried their every blow. With a blast of Force lightning from his free hand, he kept Ezra pinned on the defensive. He blocked an incoming attack from Zeb, who had switched his bow-rifle to its electrostaff setting, before kicking the Lasat warrior away with his right boot. The magnitude of the kick, fueled by the Force, was so intense that Zeb gave a panicked yelp before he was silenced as his back slammed into the stone wall that encompassed the temple summit. He slumped down to the floor. He easily ducked to avoid two more blaster bolts coming his way before bringing his doublesaber to bear against the Padawan once more, the duel once more coming back to blade against blade.

"No…" Zeb trailed off weakly as he slipped into unconsciousness, still slumped against the wall he'd been hurled into.

"Hera! We need air support, now!" Sabine frantically shouted as she relayed over the comm unit built into her helmet. Things were going from bad to worse too fast.

"I'll get there as soon as I can! I got two TIE squadrons on my tail, had to take off from the landing point to avoid being blasted to pieces down there!" Hera replied hurriedly, clearly facing her own unfavorable odds. Chopper was returning fire on the tail gun as the _Ghost_ swerved and dived up and down, left to right in evasive maneuvers over the roaring seas surrounding the island. One TIE fighter after the next was keeping up with the Rebel starship, the possibility of successfully shaking them becoming less and less as they continued their own barrage of laser fire.

"Well, now that our business here is concluded, I believe it is time I repay the ancients for their knowledge by denying the unworthy any access to it."

The menacing tone of their nemesis caught both Ezra and Sabine by surprise. Starkiller paused as he too waited and observed. Grand Inquisitor Nachtgeist drew and ignited his custom-built lightsaber as he stepped away from the console, and over towards them. His crimson eyes bore into those of his foes as his cape billowed in the wind. Evidently, his task was done. The two holocrons and the datapad he had brought with him sat idle atop the hypertech computer terminal. Starkiller raised his doublesaber once again. The Padawan and the Mandalorian, battered and winded, already felt as though they were at wit's end as they raised their own weapons. Whatever was about to happen, it was about to be decided quickly.

* * *

All four combatants were completely unaware that, atop the entryway to the summit on the stone roof of the temple, a faintly-visible, corporeal form of a man in dark black robes, hood, and cape with a bronzium-painted chestplate was observing the duel below through contemplative eyes. The Rebels and the Inquisitors walked in his footsteps, fought in his shadow.

 **A/N: Part 2 of the climax is already in progress, and should be out sometime next week. After that, I'm thinking one more chapter to wrap thus up. Again, a most sincere thanks to each and every one of you who reads, follows and supports my ongoing series for Rebels. I look forward to concluding another portion of this journey with you all. :)**


	11. Chapter 11: Priorities

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: The resolution of the climax and the prelude to the final chapter. Much remains to be wrapped up, here. Enjoy!**

Chapter 11: Priorities

As the hard soles of his black boots hit the ancient stone floor of the summit atop the Temple of the Ancients, the Grand Inquisitor never took his crimson eyes off of his foes as they bored into their own. The only thing breaking the silence were his ever-clear footsteps and the vibrating hum of multiple lightsabers, from him, his cohort at his side, and their younger Jedi foe.

"I am pleased to see the two of you have progressed. Several months ago, neither of you would have lasted this long against my young associate, here," Nachtgeist shifted his eyes in the direction of Starkiller for the two opponents before them while he spoke. Both Ezra and Sabine may have been attempting to thwart his plans, however slim their chances of success may be, but the menacing Dark Side master wasn't too proud as to not give credit where he felt it due, even to the enemy.

"What can I say? We're fast learners," Ezra retorted in a bemused huff. Both the Padawan and the Mandalorian were past winded at this point. Even if he'd gone easy on them, Starkiller was still not someone who they could've taken lightly while fighting alone. Sabine kept her blasters raised, one on each of the Inquisitors bearing down on them.

"Don't let your guard down even for a second, Ezra. Please," Sabine said gently as she warned him sincerely. He looked over to her just long enough to nod, his expression sympathetic. She felt her heart jump slightly. Her kind and caring, young Jedi teammate was the Ezra she had missed. In the next instant, she had to remind herself to keep her focus and defenses up as well. Ezra, however, still couldn't help but look over in the direction of his prize, he finally got his first good look at the holocron that had been set down next to it.

"Wait, _two_ holocrons?! All right, Inquisitors, your game is over. What're you up to, here?" as the Padawan at her side demanded, Sabine kept her focus intently on the two Dark Side users in front of the, her fingers on the triggers or her twin pistols. Starkiller merely glanced over to his superior for a moment, who gave a slight chuckle from beneath his half-mask.

"Sorry, kid, but this _game_ as you put it has barely begun. Now, let's get this over with," his tone serious and dark, the Grand Inquisitor raised his blade to both Rebels who returned his fierce glare with their own narrowed eyes, "I only give this courtesy once per fight; surrender and I will spare your lives," a simple offer, one without a hint of compromise in how it was delivered.

"You know we won't give ourselves over as hostages," Sabine retorted without delay, knowing Ezra would agree. He did in silence, as he knew she knew him.

"Then we'll hand you back to your allies in pieces," Nachtgeist said clearly and precisely as though it were another fact. That unnerving intent to kill returned to his eyes now that he had his answer.

* * *

All the while, up in orbit over Lehon, the _Oblivion_ continued maintaining her steady but leisurely pace while cruising above the island with the temple below. Her commanding officer was, Captain Suradasa, a dark-skinned, black-haired Human male and top graduate of the Imperial academy. His face was adorned with a thin mustache and a scar over his left cheek from his first real battle, a souvenir all too common in the line of duty. He strolled back and forth along the bridge of the _Victory_ frigate, awaiting an update from the surface. He'd already deployed both forward squadrons stationed on his vessel when an alert came in from the Grand Inquisitor just several minutes prior. Last he heard from those pilots, they had found and engaged a Rebel starship that had landed on the island.

"Captain Suradasa, sir! We have multiple unidentified ships inbound from hyperspace!" a technician stationed at one of the consoles suddenly alerted him. He turned to face the man immediately.

"Here, _now_? It's likely more Rebels! How far are they out?" Suradasa wasted no time, wanting an assessment on the situation.

"Less than two minutes, sir!"

"Sound the alarm, general quarters! All personnel to their stations triple time!"

The crew of the _Oblivion_ were preparing for battle as four Rebel starships dropped out of hyperspace within sight of them. It was a strike force that consisted of three Corellian blockade runners and one Hammerhead corvette. The lead ship was the _Liberator_ , with Sato in command on the bridge. A squadron of A-wings were in tow as well.

"Sir, the Imperial frigate is in orbit directly over the location of our ground team," one of the pilots relayed to the Rebel officer.

"Deploy all fighters to the planet immediately. Captain Syndulla needs support so she can evacuate our forces. The rest of our ships are to move in and engage that frigate immediately. We'll need to keep the Imperials occupied while the evac proceeds," Sato relayed his orders quickly, knowing time was of the essence.

"Yes sir!"

"I only hope that Bridger and Captain Rex found something useful with their teams down there," the Rebel officer pondered aloud in concern.

* * *

Back on the _Oblivion_ , there were no plans to try and avoid the incoming battle. Captain Suradasa had no intentions of allowing the Rebel ships to overtake his vessel from astern.

"Bring us about, hard to port! We'll face these traitors with a full broadside salvo!"

"Yes, captain!" the officer on duty as helmsman replied in affirmation as he set to work.

"I want our remaining squadrons along with bombers deployed immediately! Alert the forward squadrons and tell them they need to finish up down there!" the captain continued, knowing the Rebel ships were faster than his own.

As his officers hurried to carry out his commands, the _Oblivion_ slowly but steadily turned to face the incoming Rebels, all port batteries loading, turrets rotating to take aim at first opportunity. The sublight engines roared as they flared outward, doing a perfect job of maneuvering the larger Imperial vessel.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the surface of the planet, up atop the summit of the Temple of the Ancients, Starkiller flanked his superior as the two Inquisitors moved to finish the unwelcome intrusion against their critical mission. The telltale sound of many footsteps in rapid succession alerted both groups to the arrival of the detachment of troopers from the 338th Legion coming up behind the Rebels. Both Ezra and Sabine knew the situation was grim. Their older Lasat teammate was still slumped unconscious against the wall off to their right.

The Imperial elite clone soldiers raised their blasters and rail guns as they came to a halt just inside the entryway to the outdoor terrace where the Inquisitors had the Padawan and the Mandalorian pinned down. Faced with insurmountable odds to the front and with their only escape route now cut off, the two young Rebels were suddenly hesitant as to which group of opponents to keep their focus on. Ezra raised kept a firm grip on his lightsaber with both hands as Nachtgeist was the first to land the next blow, the glare from his crimson eyes as intense and unnerving as ever. The red blade was firmly locked with the green one, though the Grand Inquisitor was only using his right hand alone to hold his in place.

"I'm not afraid of you," Ezra had his own blue eyes narrowed as he stated to his foe with resolution.

"You should be," was all Nachtgeist said in reply, again as though stating another fact. By now, Starkiller was closing in as well, moving to face Sabine directly. The Mandalorian kept her blasters raised in a tight grip. It was at that moment that, with the forward squadrons from the Imperial frigate still on her tail, that Hera unleashed a single salvo of proton torpedoes directly at the two Inquisitors. Sensing the impending danger, the Grand Inquisitor immediately shifted his gaze to his cohort, who was already alerted just as he, "Get clear, now!"

The two Dark Side users leaped back with great speed, and both Ezra and Sabine ducked and covered as well as the ensuing explosion easily engulfed half of the outdoor terrace. The magnitude of the blast was so intense even the troopers inside the entryway were thrown off their feet as they retreated. At the same time, both Nachtgeist and Starkiller landed a safe distance beyond the smoke cloud permeating over much of the temple summit, their feet coming to a rest on the stone floor once more, their capes billowing as their gazes remained fixed on the direction of their enemies.

"That pilot of theirs in a good shot," Starkiller mused aloud. The proton torpedoes had hit dead center where both he and his superior had been standing.

"Twice now she's interrupted me. I'll have to make sure she's dealt with, another time," Nachtgeist stated as he reached out through the Force with his free hand, summoning the two holocrons and the datapad with his downloaded prize to him.

* * *

By this time, the squadrons of Rebel Starfighters were closing in from the sky as well, giving Hera and Chopper much-needed assistance in dispersing their pursuers. The TIE's that weren't hit quickly split up into evasive maneuvers.

"Thanks for the assist!" Hera told the squadron leader over the _Ghost_ 's comm.

"You're welcome, Captain Syndulla. You're clear to proceed with your mission!" the voice of a female Human replied.

"Copy that!"

* * *

As this was taking place, back over at the temple summit, Nachtgeist shifted his attention as heard and saw his shuttle coming in as he signaled the pilots to minutes prior. With his three carry-ons levitating above his open left hand, and ignited lightsaber still in his right, he turned to face the craft. The shuttle slowed and the boarding ramp began lowering and extending out for them. Starkiller shifted his focus to it as well, turning around.

"Our ride is here at last. All in, our mission must come first," the Grand Inquisitor ordered.

"Right, sir!" the younger Human Inquisitor replied, running forward and jumping through the air and onto the ramp.

Once they returned to their feet, the two Rebels knew there was nowhere to go but through the smoke.

"Come on, we need to move!" Sabine called to Ezra as she took off running.

"I'm right behind you!" Ezra immediately replied as he followed at a similar pace.

Once back out on the terrace, the Mandalorian quickly changed direction and ran over to Zeb, who was finally beginning to come to. He groaned as he pressed a hand to the back of his head, lifting the front of his skull up to face Sabine who knelt in front of him.

"Karabast, how long was I out?" he inquired weakly.

"Long enough. We're leaving, come on, get up!" she offered a hand and helped him to his feet. He used his free hand to retrieve his bow rifle as he did so. Immediately spinning on her heel, Sabine was shocked at what she saw through the smoke, "Ezra?! No! Don't do it!"

Said Padawan was charging towards the shuttle with lightsaber in both hands. The Grand Inquisitor had just landed on the ramp when he heard the forward cannons start firing. He didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. He tossed the holocrons and the datapad to Starkiller, who stood inside the cabin atop the ramp and caught them just as they'd been thrown, telekinetically.

"Get those inside. I'll handle the Jedi," Nachtgeist ordered, and Starkiller silently nodded before turning to do so. The second Ezra's foot hit the ramp, the Evocii spun around and met the boarder blade to blade, "Bad move, kid," his crimson eyes were vicious and out of patience. He silently mused that the Padawan had a similar look in his blue orbs.

The shuttle quickly turned away from the temple summit and began speeding away from the site of the battle. Starkiller ordered the pilots, on behalf of his superior, to begin making their way up towards the frigate in orbit. The standoff on the ramp would have to come to an end quickly. With the air howling around them as the shuttle began climbing in altitude over the ocean below, Ezra showed no signs of backing down.

"Give my holocron back, _right now_!" despite the growling, vicious tone with which his younger opponent made the demand, Nachtgeist didn't even look amused this time.

"Do you hate me now, boy?" to enunciate his words, with a strong step forward, the menacing Dark Side master forced Ezra back a single step, placing the Padawan at an even more precarious position.

"Give it _back_!" Ezra pressed further in another shout, the tight grip on his blade all he could do to keep from running out of room to stand. At this point, the air was beginning to grow thinner.

"Bold words for someone so naïve. The power you're messing with is beyond your ability to comprehend," the intense glare of the Grand Inquisitor wasn't condescending; it was knowing.

"I'll bring this whole damn shuttle down into the sea if I have to!" despite his words, Ezra couldn't ignore how his own lightsaber was being driven back towards him. Even with his two-hand grip, his strength paled in comparison to the power at the disposal of his opponent, who maintained and pressed the advantage just one of his own hands on the hilt of his own blade.

"Sir, you need to get inside, now," Starkiller warned his superior as he reappeared just inside at the top the ramp. Indeed, soon the air outside would be too thin to breathe.

"Oh, very well," with a sigh and tone that could only be described as unwelcome but understood acceptance, Nachtgeist reached behind himself with his free hand. Through the Force, he summoned the Holocron of Darth Traya back to him from inside the shuttle. Ezra's eyes went wide as he instantly recognized it, "You want this back so badly, you little trainee? Fine, then by all means, go and get it!" the instant the last of these words met his ears, Ezra felt his eyes go wide in horror as he saw the Grand Inquisitor use the Force to hurl the holocron through the air and beyond his reach.

"NO!" as he cried out in panic at the sight, his entire focus shifted as his eyes followed the holocron, Ezra couldn't stop his legs from moving. He leaped over the ramp to chase after his prize, disengaging and sheathing his lightsaber as he did so. As he reached out with both hands as he fell belly first through the air, the Padawan summoned the holocron over and into his grip, "Uh oh…" his face quickly shifted back to panic as he realized the predicament he'd placed himself in. The ocean far below was becoming more and more prevalent in his line of sight as time went by, the deafening air blasting in his ears at the same time.

* * *

As soon as the ramp finished retracting and sealed shut over the entryway, the Grand Inquisitor walked over towards the cockpit of his personal shuttle with his subordinate in tow.

"Perhaps the boy isn't as foolish as I thought," upon hearing the words of his superior, Starkiller couldn't help but raise an eyebrow from under his helmet.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, sir. The Jedi just jumped to what will likely be his death," Nachtgeist replied as the two Inquisitors entered and took their seats behind the two pilots. The shuttle had increased in speed and the sharp angle of climb, finally nearing lower orbit.

"It was his call to decide if the risk was worth it. The pursuit of power is never without danger. If either of us ever hear or see of him again, we'll know his choice paid off."

"Forgive me, sir, but was sacrificing one of the holocrons worth throwing him off our trail?" the Human Inquisitor inquired further.

"I've already obtained what I needed from that particular device, my esteemed ally. Its loss to us changes little, now. The Emperor is after a much larger prize from this operation, as am I," as he finished elaborating, the Grand Inquisitor shifted his focus to the lead pilot on the left who had an update from the frigate.

"Sir, Captain Suradasa and the _Oblivion_ are currently in battle with a group of Rebel ships that have come to assist their ground team. We've been given clearance to land in the hangar, but the approach won't be easy."

"Indeed, I caught sight of their starfighters back at the temple. Raise forward deflector shields, and transfer as much power as you can spare to the engines! What we bring back with us is too important to leave exposed to any line of fire!" Nachtgeist ordered without delay.

"At once, sir!"

With the last of the clouds obscuring their view now behind them, the four Imperials in the shuttle got their first glimpse of what lay ahead. The _Oblivion_ and her remaining squadrons were firmly locked in battle with the four Rebel ships, the _Liberator_ leading the fight for the rest of the strike force.

* * *

Back inside the atmosphere of the planet below, Ezra's mind was racing as the rest of him did the same, straight down to the roaring, deep ocean below. He eyed the direction of the island; it was a considerable distance away. He could barely make out the temple from how far he was from the point of battle. With the holocron held tightly in his grip, he closed his eyes and cursed himself for his unbelievable, thoughtless decision. What was the point of having the forbidden knowledge he wanted back in his grasp if he couldn't live to learn any more of it?

The grim reality of the situation slammed into his head as his eyes shot open in horror. He wouldn't live to see any of his friends and allies again, everyone who depended on him. Everyone who cared for him. Like _her_ …

"This can't be the end!" he blurted out aloud. By this point, he could clearly make up the white crests of the waves that tumbled over the surface of the ocean, which was coming up faster and faster. The blast of the air in his ears was suddenly broken by the roar of starship engines. Shifting his gaze, the panic and horror in his eyes was replaced with an expression of surprise and relief; a familiar sight was coming up fast to his aid.

"There's Ezra!" Sabine pointed to the falling Padawan through the windshield of the cockpit. Hera immediately reduced speed as the Lasat was the first one out the door. Someone would need to haul the young Jedi back onboard.

"Go help Zeb bring him in! I want him safe and sound before I give him a piece of my mind!" Hera told the Mandalorian sternly, using her disciplinary mother voice. Sabine nodded as she shot up and out of the co-pilot's chair and was out the door in the next instant as well. It had been a narrow escape back at the temple summit. The heavy weaponry of the modified light freighter was more than sufficient to keep the 338th troopers on the defensive long enough for the Mandalorian and the Lasat warrior to get on board safely, but Chopper had to use the tail gun to make quick work of two missiles fired at them from shoulder-mounted rocket launchers as they flew away.

As the top hatch on the _Ghost_ opened, Ezra tucked the holocron away inside of his shirt. He could only hope that Sabine hadn't told the rest of the crew about it, yet. While Hera carefully maneuvered the ship close enough to safely avoid hitting the young Jedi, Zeb emerged from inside the hatch, reaching out with both arms as Ezra did the same.

"Come on, kid! Almost… there!" the Lasat warrior grabbed the Padawan. He nearly lost his footing, but Sabine was just below them inside and acted as a brace and helped haul them both back inside. The hatch immediately sealed behind them, and Ezra had to pull up sharply to avoid hitting the ocean. It was a narrow miss. As the three below the hatch struggled back to their feet, Sabine couldn't resist pressing Ezra for some kind of explanation.

"What the kriff were you _thinking_?! If we'd been just a second late-!" she was cut off by Zeb, and Ezra couldn't help but feel relieved at the welcome interruption.

"You and Hera can rip him a new one later, right now we need to move! We're not out of this yet!" the veteran warrior reminded the two Humans, who both silently nodded in agreement as they turned and ran back towards the cockpit.

* * *

Over at the island, the gunship that had put out the fire in front of the Temple of the Ancients had set down after completing its primary task. While Alpha and the other troopers were to head back to the excavation site on foot and await extraction there, Rex was to be transferred into custody under guard inside the atmospheric assault craft. The older clone had come to after being beaten unconscious to find himself clad in electromagnetic binders and already loaded into the canopy of the gunship. He had gathered his bearings just in time to witness the transport lift off. Two troopers stood beside where he lay on the floor beside the tank, their blasters trained on him.

"Well, this isn't a welcome sight to wake up to, no offense, boys," Rex regarded his captors.

"Silence!" one of them replied immediately.

The gunship had just cleared the shoreline as it began to loop around back towards the island, the destination being the excavation site where the personnel were preparing for imminent departure. The lead pilot alerted everyone else on board over the loudspeaker.

"Rebel vessel closing in fast! Fire! Fire!"

With visual contact established, the gunnery crew in the two side turrets had little time to prepare before a barrage of laserfire from the _Ghost_ hit them on their right side, the blast enough to knock out both engines as well as cripple the repulsorlift systems. The gunship immediately spun out of control and plummeted into the ocean at high speed, the impact breaking off both wings and obliterating the turrets.

Seizing his chance as he was ejected from the canopy with both troopers, Rex used both of his feet to kick the trooper closest to him in the chest. The blunt physical attack was hindered by the fact that they were all underwater, but it was enough to stun the trooper. Rex counted himself fortunate that they'd both been disarmed by the crash and were already struggling to float under the weight of their armor. The other trooper attempted swimming over just enough to throw a punch, but Rex was able to dodge it easily and kicked the armored soldier in the helmet, stunning him as well. With all his might, feeling the weight of his own gear working against him, the veteran former clone captain kicked his way back to the surface. He gasped for breath the instant he emerged from below.

The wrecked gunship had slightly leveled out before falling over onto its side, but it was not naturally buoyant and began to sink. The windshield hatches to the cockpit, cracked and splintered to the point where nobody inside could see out, were blown out as both the pilot and co-pilot moved to evacuate. Rex knew both men would be armed with pistols. His window of opportunity to escape was closing as fast as the sinking gunship. Hearing the roar of engines coming up behind him, he swam around as best he could with both of his arms still bound at the wrists. The _Ghost_ had circled back around, her boarding ramp lowering and extending as Hera piloted the starship in carefully.

"It's nice to know I can always depend on them…" Rex mused to himself aloud at the sight. It seems the old clone wouldn't be dying or locked away, after all. Ezra pulled Rex out of the water with both hands using the Force as he emerged at the top of the ramp, and once the latter was on the ramp, the former drew and ignited his lightsaber just long enough to break the binders, "Thanks for the save, kid. Let's get out of here!"

"Agreed. It's good to have you back, captain," the Padawan told the old clone with a relieved expression as the two of them hurried back inside. The _Ghost_ sped away while Hera retracted the ramp. The gunship finally submerged beneath the waves behind them as the Rebel ship began ascending once more. The rest of the battle lay ahead in orbit over the lost world below.

 **A/N: The next chapter will be the finale for this story, but I've been formulating the third one for some time. I trust each of you would like to see this continuing series reach its conclusion? Anyway, until next time, thanks again for all your support, each and every one of you. The finale chapter should be out sometime next week. :)**


	12. Chapter 12: Into the Unknown

Star Wars: Rebels: Obscured Ambition

 **Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.**

 **A/N: Well, here it is my most appreciated readers, the final chapter of the sequel, the end, for now anyway. Enjoy!**

Chapter 12: Into the Unknown

As the battle on the surface of Lehon below had been taking place, the _Oblivion_ had maneuvered is a hard port turn in order to bring all her weaponry on that side to bear against the incoming Rebel strike force. On the bridge of the Imperial frigate, Captain Suradasa watched the approach of the enemy forces with undivided attention. The Rebels had chosen to move in as a single formation, square in shape with two of the Corellian blockade runners in front with the lead one, the _Liberator_ , coming up behind them with the Hammerhead corvette to her port side.

"Captain, the enemy will be in range in twenty seconds!" one of the officers called out from his station. The sublight engines simmered down as the officer at the helm began to even out the rotation, the _Oblivion_ coming to a halt with a perfect hard port turn to face the enemy, "Ten seconds!"

"Steady... hold…" Captain Suradasa raised his right arm, hand open, as he spoke. A full broadside had to be timed just right for maximum impact.

Over on the bridge of the _Liberator_ , Fleet Commander Jun Sato relayed his own instructions to his crew as well as the personnel on the other ships.

"Fire as soon as we're in range!" he couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease at the reply his got from the deck officer.

"We won't be in range for thirty more seconds, sir!" the Rebel commander wasted no time with his own reply.

"All ships, transfer power to the forward deflector shields!" a smart move that came too late.

"Fire! Fire all!" the Imperial captain shouted as he brought his arm down in a swiping gesture to enunciate his point.

It was done within the next instant. All portside batteries, the laser cannon turrets, the proton torpedo launchers, and the concussion missile launchers blasted to life as they unleashed their firepower directly at the Rebel ships in front of them. The majority of the full broadside slammed directly into the two Corellian blockade runners leading the Rebel formation. The result was overwhelming as immediately the forward twin turrets on both ships were demolished. In addition, both their deflector shields and engines were disabled.

The blockade runner on the left, however, was more fortunate than the one on the right, which lay ahead of the _Liberator_. Sato and the rest of his crew on the bridge of the Rebel command ship watched in horror as the magazine on ship in front of them was penetrated, the ensuing explosion ripping the medium Corellian starship in half and effectively destroying it, sending both the bow and aft sections drifting off in opposite directions. The magazine on the blockade runner to the left was not breached, but she was still crippled with the loss of her shields and engines. At this point, finally, the Rebel strike force was in range of the Imperial frigate, and already down almost half of their present numbers.

"Return fire! Return fire, now!" Sato ordered through the chaos around him. Both the _Liberator_ and the Hammerhead corvette to her left had been hit by the broadside as well, though their damage was minimal in comparison. All laser turrets and cannons on the remaining Rebel ships opened fire immediately, though they had little effect as the shields on the _Oblivion_ held up with little strain.

The remaining TIE fighter squadrons on the Imperial frigate launched from her hangar bay, and were soon followed by the lone squadron of TIE bombers carried onboard as well. At the same time, the personal shuttle of the Grand Inquisitor was entering the area of battle as the ship approached through lower orbit. Captain Suradasa wasted no time giving the TIE fighters instructions to keep the attention of the Rebel starships while the shuttle closed in on the hangar bay inside the frigate. The protection of his superiors and what they carried with them was to take immediate priority.

The squadron of TIE bombers, meanwhile, made right for the _Liberator_ and the Hammerhead corvette, as they were still the Rebel ships with the least amount of damage. Sato ordered the turrets moved to engage the bombers, but they couldn't match their speed in time. One by one, the incoming bombers flew over the two Rebel ships in the back of the formation, deploying their payloads of proton bombs as they did so. The bombs punctured right through the deflector shields and detonated in a series of chaotic explosions that rattled both the blockade runner and corvette. Emergency alert alarms sounded on the bridge of the _Liberator_. Sato and both pilots were nearly thrown from their seats as the technicians stumbled about the room, a couple left on their hands and knees before they got back up. One of them studied the console they'd been assigned to before relaying over his shoulder at an alarmed rate.

"Commander, half of our weapon systems were just knocked out! No readings from Turret A at all!"

"We can't fall back just yet! We need to give Captain Syndulla more time! Recall all starfighters! We won't survive another direct hit like that!" the Rebel officer ordered immediately and sharply.

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

It was only a couple of minutes later, when, over on the bridge of the _Oblivion_ , both Grand Inquisitor Dunkel Nachtgeist and Inquisitor Starkiller walked in from outside, immediately making their way over to Captain Suradasa, who had been observing and directing the battle with focus. He turned to face his two superiors and immediately stood at attention as he saluted, and both Inquisitors returned the gesture.

"Stand at ease, Captain. I see you have things well in hand up here," the Evocii stated as he peered out at the Rebel ships being pummeled outside.

"Glad we could make it for the grand finale," Starkiller added in a droll voice as he did the same.

"This battle will be over momentarily, sirs. You can depend on it," Captain Suradasa replied without hesitation. Nachtgeist nodded as he gave his own reply.

"So to it immediately. Our way back to the hyperspace lanes must be cleared now that our business on the planet below is concluded. We mustn't keep his excellency, the Emperor, waiting."

"Of course not, sir! Everyone, I want the next broadside ready ASAP! Our task is almost complete!" the Imperial officer relayed to his crew, who continued scrambling to carry out their tasks.

* * *

By now the fighting on the surface had come to a halt. The Rebels on the _Ghost_ were leaving the atmosphere and, just as the Imperial shuttle that had gone ahead of them, the moment they cleared the clouds obstructing their view, they could clearly see out from the cockpit windshield that the battle in orbit remained in full swing, though at this point the other Rebel ships that remained intact were struggling to hold out.

"Looks like the Commander could use some backup!" Zeb growled as he eyed the drifting wreckage of the Corellian blockade runner that had already been destroyed.

"Time to do some damage!" Ezra agreed as he narrowed his eyes at the Imperial frigate ahead of them. He had reluctantly left Rex in the medbay to apply his own bacta wraps, his attention needed on what remained of the fight ahead of them. Despite the resolution to jump into the fray displayed by Ezra and Zeb, the Twi'lek pilot immediately shook her head in dismissal.

"That's gonna be a negative. The longer we stay here the more we risk losing more ships, and Imperial reinforcements could already be on their way. I'm going to alert the _Liberator_ that we're clear. Everyone, get to your battle stations!"

"We're on it!" Sabine replied and both the Padawan and the Lasat warrior quickly followed the Mandalorian out the doors. This would require a team effort, as per usual.

* * *

Back on the _Liberator_ , the technician relayed an update to Sato just moments later. His voice was frantic yet controlled, showing discipline.

"Sir, Captain Syndulla and her crew just cleared the atmosphere! The evacuation is complete! Your orders?!"

"What about our fighter squadron?" the Rebel officer inquired immediately.

"All efforts to hail them have failed, sir. We can't reestablish communications with any of the pilots. With respect, sir, we may have to assume the worst!" the sense of urgency in his subordinate's voice was not lost on Sato, but he felt reluctant to order a retreat with the fate of an entire squadron uncertain. That delay would be brought to a halt not but a moment later when the _Oblivion_ unleashed another full broadside.

"All power to forward shields!"

This time, the crippled Corellian blockade runner on the left in front ignited in a series of explosions as her main reactor was breached. Quickly, the entire starship was incinerated from within, culminating with her engines burning out and flames bursting through the windshield on the bridge. Her hull split into fragments just seconds later as the reactor imploded completely.

The Hammerhead corvette to the left of the _Liberator_ was already on the verge of losing her shields, and this time the broadside knocked them out completely. Her crew had still been attempting to assess the damage from the bombers. A chunk of her starboard hull broke off, exposing the interior rooms and corridors on that side to the vacuum of space. Any unfortunate crew caught in that particular chaos were sucked out quickly, screaming as they did so. The staff on the bridge were able to contain the crippling blow by sealing off blast doors in the interior of the hull, but without any deflector shields active, it was merely a stalling measure from inevitable total destruction. The squadron of TIE bombers were closing in to deliver the final blow to both remaining Rebel ships.

"Pull back! All forces pull back! Get us out of here!" Sato ordered, his confidence waning at the disastrous events surrounding him and his crew. If those who weren't already dead stayed any longer, they were as good as dead anyway.

Almost immediately, the _Liberator_ and the Hammerhead corvette began hard turns in a bid to escape the battle that had steadily been turning against them since the start. With Hera flying in at full throttle, the _Ghost_ intercepted the squadron of TIE bombers just before they could begin their next run. The modified light stock freighter was quickly surrounded by TIE fighters coming to the aid of the bombers, but her holding shields and increased rate of speed over the larger Rebel ships gave her a greater chance against the odds.

"We'll keep the TIE's occupied as long as we can, Commander. Get into hyperspace as soon as you're able!" the leader of Phoenix Squadron relayed to her superior over the comm.

"You have our utmost gratitude, Captain Syndulla! The rest of you, divert all power to the engines and aft shields, and finish calculating our jump out of here!"

* * *

All the while, back on the bridge of the Imperial frigate, Captain Suradasa and his two superiors continued observing the carnage just outside. Starkiller mused aloud at the sight before them.

"Well, they definitely appear to understand they can't keep this up," as he finished, the younger Inquisitor shifted his glance over to the Imperial officer as the latter spoke up, determined.

"They won't escape! We must pursue!" Captain Suradasa was ready to give the order to chase down the fleeing Rebel strike force, but was halted the moment the Grand Inquisitor raised his gloved hand to halt him, "Sir?"

"Let them go, Captain. We simply needed them out of our way. Our objective here is already complete. We will only delay the next phase of the operation by giving chase. Rest assured, when my plans come to fruition, they won't be so fortunate a second time," Nachtgeist explained as he gave his new orders, his tone confident and reassuring under his usual unnerving scowl.

"Very well, sir," Captain Suradasa replied respectfully in affirmation.

"Recall all forces, and prepare to receive the excavation teams from the surface. We are to pull out and rendezvous with the rest of the fleet at Fondor as soon as all is accounted for," the menacing Dark Side master added. The final two phases of Operation: Infinite Horizon were within reach, at last.

* * *

After the last of the fighting up in orbit had come to an end, back down at the summit of the Temple of the Ancients, the mysterious, hooded, corporeal figure stepped out from the dissipating smoke and stooped as he gazed up at the clouds, as if seeing the ships that had ceased fighting only moments prior. His deep blue eyes then briefly peered over to his bronzium statue before resuming his previous focus. His eyes were surrounded by a tan-skinned face with a thin bearded and mustache stubble. He spoke softly and knowingly to himself as he mused aloud.

"They are strong, they are capable, but they still have much to learn."

And with that, the shade of Revan faded away as he lowered his head once more. His time may have come and gone, but his legacy continued to endure.

It wasn't long after the TIE squadrons broke off their pursuit that the remaining Rebel starships, the two in front on the verge of breaking down under the strain of their damage, quickly seized their chance and jumped straight into hyperspace the moment the coordinates back to safe haven were punched in. There was little room for doubt in the minds of anyone on the three ships that they were allowed the chance to escape. They also understood that a close call like that was not likely to occur again.

* * *

It took four days for the remains of the Rebel strike force to limp back to Atollon, having to make an emergency stopover on Dantooine for some spot repairs just to prevent the permanent loss of the Hammerhead corvette. The detour, while risky, also served to help hide the trail back to Chopper Base. It was apparent even after touching down back at said base that both the _Liberator_ and her fellow survivor would be out of commission for some time.

The debriefing had been disappointing for everyone present, to say the least. Sato was visibly upset at the revelation that next to nothing was uncovered regarding the top secret Imperial operation that had cost nearly half of the base's naval forces. Ezra had briefly considered showing the holocron he'd retrieved once more, as some measure of success given the knowledge it held, but decided against it. He knew if it were out in the open, Kanan would likely sense it, and the Padawan knew his instructor would never approve of him keeping such a relic of the Dark Side. Hera, who had been present for the meeting, most likely would have objected at the sight of it as well.

He also decided against telling Sabine the truth regarding why he'd gone after the Grand Inquisitor, which was specifically to retrieve it. Alternatively, he had to be honest with himself however much he didn't like it on two counts; he likely wouldn't have been able to get it back at all if Nachtgeist hadn't thrown it for him to chase after, and he would need to keep his possession of it an even deeper secret than before. He was both surprised and relieved that Sabine hadn't gone to Kanan to inform him about it as of yet, even after their return from the less than successful mission.

It wasn't long after the debriefing when said Mandalorian found him sitting atop the roof of the _Ghost_ , legs hanging over the side of the hull. He didn't need to turn around from where he was perched, looking out to the setting sun just above the horizon to sense her approach.

"May I join you?" hearing the uncertainty in her voice, he looked back at her over his shoulder with a light, reassuring smile.

"You're always welcome to join me, Sabine," after everything that had transpired over the last few days, he couldn't bring himself to be upset at her anymore. Life was much too short to waste like that. He was relieved that she felt the same. He didn't need to ask, it was apparent from her response. She returned his smile as she walked over and took a seat at his side, sighing with contentment as she eyed the view he'd been enjoying.

"It's definitely beautiful."

"Yeah, sure is," he smirked as she caught of where his eyes were as he replied, firmly fixated on her face. She rolled her eyes, but playfully grinned at his cheesy remark. In the old days, she may have scoffed at such an obvious flirt. Those days were long over, however.

"You're too much sometimes, but I think I've grown used to it," she replied in a like manner.

"I'm glad," his expression suddenly shifted to one of seriousness as she felt his hand reach over and slip into her own. She watched him with rapt attention as he signed solemnly, cleared his throat, and continued with utmost sincerity, "Sabine, I want you to know I'm sorry about what happened, a few days ago that is. I really am," he kept his eyes on hers even as he felt her tighten her grip around his fingers.

"So am I, Ezra. Mistakes were made, but please remember, you never have to doubt that you have people here who genuinely care about you, including me," her tone was like his once again. Her smile returned as she saw him nod instantly.

"I won't, and never doubt how much I care for everyone here, including you."

"Never."

His own smile returned as she shifted closer to him and leaned on his shoulder, giving another contented sigh as she closed her eyes, allowing the feeling of the moment to wash over her. She didn't object when he put an arm around her, pulling in snugly. He rested his head atop hers as his gaze returned to the setting sun. They both knew whatever happens, they would face it together, surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones.

* * *

All the while, over the refueling station that was positioned just inside the outer orbit of the Far Rim world of Darvrannis, the Imperial Fourth Fleet was assembled and prepped for another lengthy voyage. Just beyond the system, the infinite expanses of the Unknown Regions awaited beyond the edge of the known Galaxy. This was the next destination of Grand Inquisitor Dunkel Nachtgeist, who stood at the front of the bridge on his flagship as he studied the stars and cosmic rays that lay ahead. The menacing Dark Side master could sense Vice Admiral Paelleon approach him from further back inside, coming to stand at his side and share the view with him.

"The final preparations for your dispatch have been completed, sir. You are set to begin at your leisure," the older Imperial informed his superior respectfully without delay. Without even shifting his gaze, the Grand Inquisitor replied, his tone sincere and confident.

"Very good, Paelleon, then I shall depart immediately. I leave you in command of the fleet in my absence. I may be gone a few weeks, or even a few months, but know that I _will_ return, and when I do, I will bring back with me a new beginning for the entire Galaxy, straight from the holobooks of legends."

"I have utmost confidence in you, sir. The Emperor will be pleased," Paelleon agreed with a nod.

"Indeed he will, as will _I_ , and everyone back home..."

Even with the dozens upon dozens more of starships in the assembled Fourth Fleet, ranging from _Marauder_ corvettes and _Victory_ Frigates, to _Interdictor_ cruisers and top of the line _Resurgence_ Star Destroyers, this collective mass of Imperial military might would pale in comparison to what was to come, to what was about to return to the Galaxy…

 **A/N: Well, here it is my most valued readers. Once again, I cannot thank you all enough for your support and encouraging responses to my writing, here. You make this possible, you inspire me. I attribute the success of this ongoing series to each and every one of you as much as myself. Work on the third and currently the final installment in this trilogy,** **Star Wars: Rebels: The Promised Day** **, has already begun. I expect it to be out some time before New Year's Day or shortly over. Thank you again to each and every one who has read, followed, favored, and reviewed regarding this series thus far. Until next time, and remember, Happy Holidays to everyone! :)**

 **Update: The first chapter of** **Star Wars: Rebels: The Promised Day** **is now up!**


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